Joint opposition leaders seek guidance from Mahanayake of Amarapura chapter to meet national challenges

Joint Opposition Leaders led by Professor Peiris together with UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardana, UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake, SLFP Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva and Lasantha Alagiyawanna at the discussion with Mahanayake of Amarapura Chapter Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthi Thera. 

Pic by Pradeep Pathirana

• Discussions focused on dengue, issues faced by paddy farmers and the clean Sri Lanka programme

By Yohan Perera 

The leaders of the Joint Opposition yesterday met the Mahanayake of Amarapura Chapter Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthi Thera, to seek his guidance on a range of national issues such as dengue. 

Convener of the Joint Opposition Prof. G. L. Peiris, who led a delegation of opposition politicians including United National Party (UNP) chairman Wajira Abeywardana, Sri Lanka Freedom Party Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva and Senior Member of SLFP Lasantha Alagiyawanna who met the Mahanayake Thera said they discussed the Dengue Epidemic, issues faced by the paddy farmers and on the Clean Sri Lanka programme with him and sought his guidance to face these challenges. 

“We discussed dengue, the issues faced by the paddy farmers and the clean Sri Lanka programme with the Mahanayake Thera and sought his guidance to meet up these grave issues which the nation is faced with at the moment,” Prof. Peiris told journalists after the discussion. 

“One of the gravest issues which the nation is faced with today is dengue, which the government has failed to control. There are more than 58,000 cases of dengue reported to date. The number of patients in hospitals is four times larger than the number of beds available. Some 39 deaths have been reported to date. The government seemed to be unable to control the situation due to its inexperience. This is despite the continued harping of the 76-year curse by those in the government,” he said.

“There are other issues that affect the nation which we focused on during the discussion. Paddy farmers have been pushed into a deep crisis which they have never faced before. The price they get for their produce is hardly sufficient to cover their production costs. We also discussed the “Clean Sri Lanka programme” with the Thera. Some Rs 6.2 billion was allocated for it and no one knows as to what had become of these funds,” he said.