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| Tuesday, 24 August 2004 |
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| 'SLFP led governments fulfilled aspirations of common masses' Kuliyapitiya Group Correspondent Minister of Plantation Industries Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said, "we will be able to provide job opportunities to the unemployed graduates, A/L and O/L qualified youths since we have laid a solid foundation to build a sound economy in the country. The UNP that failed to recruit at least a casual labourer during their tenure of 28 months sheds crocodile tears about the graduates when we provide them with jobs within four months." The Minister was addressing the SLFP delegates in Katugampola Electoral Division at a meeting held in Pannala Community Hall. The Minister said, SLFP is one of the largest political parties in the country but the Party branches are active only during the election times and after the elections they become inactive. The Party has a large vote base in the rural agricultural areas since we had given every support to the cultivators. The conventional agricultural community is the traditional supporters of the party. They are our solid votes that would never float. However, they are not members of the party branches. The officials of the party should see that such supporters be absorbed into the branches as their commitment, knowledge and experience is an asset to the party. "It is necessary to re-organise the village level party branches on a solid footing. They should meet regularly on a scheduled day in every month and discuss the necessities in the area. The reports of such meetings should be directed to me. Then I can plan the necessary development program for the electoral division getting such reports as data", he said. Mr. Yapa said, most of the resources in the village was neglected. The lands were not properly utilized. The villagers looked only for the coconuts pluck once in two months. The lands under coconut plantation would be utilized for the subsidiary crops. Subsidies would be granted for such crops. Utilization of the neglected resources was essential for building the economy. He said: "We must admit the fact that the economy of the country is not sound due to the depreciation of the rupee and rising cost of crude oil. Such factors are beyond our control. But that is not an excuse. We must honour the pledges given prior to the election. However difficult the economic condition is, all the unemployed graduates will be given jobs within this month. AL and OL qualified youths too will be given jobs shortly. Every one will be reasonably treated when giving jobs. 'The people change governments when their aspirations were not fulfilled. During the last 28 months, the UNP was confined only to Colombo and suburbs. Even the Ministers elected from the rural areas did not pay attention for the needs of their areas. So the majority lost their faith on the UNF government. "SLFP is a common man's party so we always look for their needs, necessities and interests and attend to them whatever hardships and difficulties the government has to undergo. So we are optimistic that the people would never isolate. History clearly indicates that only the SLFP led governments fulfilled the aspirations of the common masses," the minister said. Pannala PS Member Ranjith Lansakara, Chairman, Katugampola MPCS S.A. Kulasinghe and Piyadasa Abeysinghe also spoke. |
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