Quality education for all - President

Puttalam gets higher education zone

Rasika Somarathna in Puttalam

*New era of development

*Equal rights for all

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday asserted that the Government was committed to ensuring equity in access to quality education for all. He said that this in turn would contribute to achieving equity in development throughout the country. The Government would strive to provide rural children education facilities on par with ones enjoyed by city children.

Education would also be revamped to suit the local and global modern day demands, he added.

The President made these observations addressing a public gathering following the declaring open of the higher educational zone of Puttalam comprising a study centre of the Open University, a Trilingual College of Science and a Outreaching Centre of the Wayamba University.

The President also emphasised that the advent of these higher educational facilities would help the people of Puttalam to overcome many challenges which they had undergone for decades and realise long cherished goals.

He said that earlier regimes had neglected development in the area as it was under constant threat due to terrorism.

“Now that the fear psychosis has ended under-privileged areas such as Puttalam are destined to achieve swift development,” he added. He said the Government was committed to supplement this new resurgence by enacting necessary infrastructure, education, health, industries etc. at the village level

He added that through the Village Reawakening program Gama Neguma, the Government had already spent Rs.38 billion to uplift rural villages and results were there for everybody to see.

“All villages in the island are scheduled to be developed in three stages under the Jathika Saviya-Gama Neguma program. The total number of Grama Seva Divisions to be developed within three years is 14,000.

Among the objectives of this program are freeing the poor from the mentality of dependence on subsidies in the course of economic development and obtaining their active participation in the process by convincing them that they are an essential component in development activities of the area.

“This massive development process is launched with the participation of three parties - the community, political leadership and government officials, President Rajapaksa said. President Rajapaksa during his speech also said that these equal opportunities would also help rural areas to develop their own professionals in varied fields who could in future contribute effectively to the social and physical development in their own areas.

“After the defeat of terrorism we have embarked on a new era of development.

No one would be allowed to reverse these victories. Ultimately, it is the peoples strength and verdict which matters the most.”

“We are now on the threshold of a peaceful and prosperous era. Thus, it is time to set petty differences aside and build our country under one flag,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the cheering public of Puttalam.

The event which was organized by area politician, Deputy Minister K.A. Baiz was also attended by Higher Education Minister Prof. Wisva Warnapala, Wayamba Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe, Minister Milroy Fernando and Neomal Perera and educational and local officials of the area.