21 August 2022 09:58 pm
Claiming that the government is not prepared to pay the state officials for nothing, President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged them to work or go home.
He said this while addressing the Anuradhapura District Development Council held at the Anuradhapura Golden Mango reception Hall today (21).
"There is a large contingent of state officials at ground level. I think there are around nine officers for each Grama Niladhari Division. I urge them to divide their sections so that each one is assigned a specific section. If you want to work, then work. If not, go home. We are not prepared to pay you for nothing. The District Secretaries must take on this responsibility. We can't afford to feed anyone for free. They need to contribute in some way. We have to pay and not even I can get to eat for doing nothing. If I don't develop this country, I will also have to go home. Therefore, let us start from the village," he said.
Provincial public representatives and government officials representing the United National Party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and Sri Lanka Freedom Party attended the meeting which was called to review the development activities of the district and discuss future plans.
Expressing his views further the President said, “I came to Anuradhapura for the first time after assuming office. It is a tradition. We go to Kandy to receive the blessings of the sacred tooth relic. Similarly, I have come to Anuradhapura to receive the blessings of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhiya.
"Anuradhapura was the capital of the Rajarata Kingdom. This is our beginning. We want to create a society that suites the 21st century. We cannot forget our civilization that started here with those activities. We must keep this in mind and move forward. Yesterday I worshiped at all eight religious sites and all the Chief monks invoked blessings upon me. I extend my sincere respectful gratitude to them.
Looking at the Anuradhapura district, I feel that we need to do more in this province. We want to make Anuradhapura and Kandy a major tourist center in this country. Tourists who come to this province finish their trip in half a day. It takes about a week to visit the ancient Egyptian kingdoms from the Nile Valley. But they don’t spend half an hour at our ancient sites. We need to change this. Anuradhapura is a sacred city in one sense. On the other hand, it should be turned into a historical city that has won tourist attraction. For this I will appoint a committee from all departments. Let's get consultants from France or some other country and let's talk about how to turn this city of Anuradhapura into a cultural and historical tourist center. This will give Anuradhapura a new economy. Tourists from countries such as Japan, South Korea and China come to our country. Excavation of the Great Temple (Maha Viharaya) is taking place as a major event today.The Maha Vihara Buddhism is what is practiced in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam. We have enough tourists from those countries to start these activities," he said.
"Back then, we commenced a project to construct the Upper Malwathu Oya. However, with today’s economic crisis, we have been compelled to postpone it. But there is no issue in delaying it by a year or two. During that time, we are using the Department of Archeology and other universities to investigate its beginnings. It is a very important matter. Today, the people of the country are under a lot of pressure. There was no such pressure back then. We need to get out of that situation. Our economy is going at 8% lesser when compared to last year. It is happening fast and everyone will have to suffer the consequences. In such a situation, we must try to reverse it and finding ways to develop. We must look at where we can initiate economic development. If we manage to successfully carry out the cultivation activities in the Maha season, we could pave the way for economic recovery. We have taken steps to provide the required fertilizer for the Maha Season cultivation. We have received aid for this purpose. We will also provide the fertilizer subsidy and provide the required seeds. The provision of fuel for agricultural activities is curren Hence, the beginning of these activities is the Maha Season. Let us commit ourselves to work hard in order to reap a good harvest from it. Our only help now is ourselves.
Help from outsiders has now ended. India has given us aid and the World Bank and other countries have also given us aid. With these concessions, let's start our agricultural revolution with farming. In this endeavour, responsibility has been assigned especially to the local council members. Let your MPs know what is lacking and what needs to be done. They will raise these issues in parliament. With the help of everyone, we can join together and carry out this work. Similarly, there is a large contingent of state officials at ground level. I think there are around nine officers for each Grama Niladhari Division. I urge them to divide their sections so that each one is assigned a specific section. If you want to work, then work. If not, go home. We are not prepared to pay you for nothing. The District Secretaries must take on this responsibility. We can't afford to feed anyone for free. They need to contribute in some way. We have to pay and not even I can get to eat for doing nothing. If I don't develop this country, I will also have to go home. Therefore, let us start from the village. Please continue this work as local councilors.
Former MPs also have the opportunity to join in and work well. Let's all do this together. We should not expect everything from the government. Now the time of living off the government is over. People expect politicians to find a solution to these economic problems. We must do it. People are asking us to come together and end this pressure. We need to understand that message. There is no point in sticking to the old politics. The people no longer think that changing parties in parliament would solve the country's problems. That is why these young people took to the streets and expressed their opposition. I call it a peaceful struggle. Later others turned it into a violent struggle. Why did this group come here? They came to solve this problem, don't give up on this. Don't run away because of a vote. Before that, come forward and do this work. Today there are people here who support 03 parties. The United National Party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. But I am not limiting this to you. Ask other parties to come too. Tell the SJB members to come too. Tell the JVP to come too. If they can take a share and get twice the yield per acre than we do, then they can demand for the government. Yet, if they can’t do that then there is no point. If they need power, then come forward and prove that you can work. Come to the village level and do it. I would like to talk to all the parties and bring them all together. It was this message that all the Mahanayakas of the eight holy sites from Jayashree Maha Bodhiya to Mihinthala told me. There is no point in going back to the old system. The media should also remember that. I would like to invite everyone to unite and move forward together. After the British era, it was decided by the Prime Minister at that time D.S. Senanayake to separate the holy city of Anuradhapura and build a new city. That task had been entrusted to Minister Solomon West Dias Bandaranaike. When this party was formed, D.S. Senanayake’s name was proposed as its leader by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. Another MP came and helped form this party. That was D.A. Rajapaksa. The United National Party is that spring that all this came about. I am not saying that they should all return to that original spring. But let's all come together and rebuild the country. Everyone worked together to obtain freedom for this country. They separated only after gaining independence. Now we have a difficult time ahead of us. We must all come together. Leaders of the left joined together to get freedom. The first opposition leader was N.M. Perera. There were Dravidian leaders, people like Ponnambalam. All these people came together. The time has come for all of us to work together again. Let's rebuild this country. When we work together, we get a new political theory. We can't travel the old path. Let's adopt a new method. We need to go on a cultural and political journey. Don't let anyone think that they can go for a vote today and get power. This is the fact. Let's speak the truth.
Therefore, let us all accept and act with responsibility," he further said.