President urged to seek second term to fulfill people’s expectations

President Maithripala Sirisena with people and greeted by TNA leader R. Sampanthan during his visit to the north which was preceded by a tour to the east as well.                                

Trincomalee: Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has been asked to seek a second term to fulfill the expectations of the people.

The people of Kinniya made this request when President Sirisena visited the Eastern Province town and met with the local population on Saturday, the President’s Media Division said.

Informing the President that the development expected by them had not yet been received to their areas, the people apprised the President of the problems faced by them. These included the issues on agriculture, lands, health and education.

President Sirisena engaged in a tour to Kinniya and Sampur on 22 August in order to provide land deeds to those in the Eastern Province. He was warmly welcomed by the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people of the area when he arrived in Kinniya.

The President presented the land deeds to 234 displaced families in the Sampur area to resettle them in their original places. Earlier this year the President revoked an agreement under which 818 acres of land was taken by the previous Government after the war and released the land to resettle the displaced persons.

The Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Nazeer Ahamad made a special request from the President to develop the agriculture in Kinniya in the same way the agricultural sector in Polonnaruwa was developed.

The people, drawing the President’s attention to the issue of unemployment faced by the youth in the area, requested him to create jobs for them by establishing new factories.

President Sirisena promised to take action in this regard through public representatives during his next visit to Kinniya. He told them he visited Kinniya today without any invitation as he wanted to look into the welfare of the people whom he considered his brothers and sisters.

The President stated that he would implement a new program to develop the agricultural sector. He expressed his confidence about the transformation which will take place in the country through the local food production program. 

“Every crop which can be grown in this country will be cultivated within the country under this program,” he said.

He also promised that the fishing industry would be boosted through new technology and plans, creating more employment opportunities in order to increase the income in the area. The President said his ambition was to take the country forward according to a new plan, as a new Government.

He said he would give the opportunity to people in the country by enabling public representatives of the area to carry out development work. “It will be done by devolving power to provincial development committees,” he said.

Eastern Province Governor Austin Fernando, Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Nazeer Ahamad, MPs-elect Rauf Hakeem, Lakshman Kiriella, M.K.D.S. Gunawardena, Daya Gamage, M.S. Nawfik and former Chief Minister Nageed Abdul were present at the occasion.