Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed that development in the North should not be secondary to that in the South.
Wickremesinghe was in Mullaitivu during the final leg of his recent three-day tour of the Northern Province. The Premier attended a district development review meeting at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat yesterday (16) afternoon where he elaborated on the development drive in the Northern Province.
“My intention is to ensure the development of the North, South, East and West simultaneously,” he said. Referring to the Mullaitivu district and the damage caused to it during the conflict years which has still not been restored, the Prime Minister pledged that the Government would pay special attention to the Mullaitivu district while expediting development in the Province.
According to the Prime Minister, the discussions held during the tour were not limited to development, but also focused on the economic revival of the North. “The Government is dedicated to improving the northern economy,” he said.
Noting that injustices may have been caused to certain persons during the resettlement effort, Wickremesinghe pledged to look into it. “No matter where we live, we now have to prepare to move forward as a united Sri Lanka,” he said.
The Prime Minister also called on all Government employees to strive to not only restore damaged infrastructure in the region but also to heal the hearts and minds of the people. He welcomed the suggestions and proposals of local leaders to improve the Government’s development efforts.
The Premier told Government officials that he expects to see progress in the region’s development during his next visit.
The Prime Minister also elaborated on a number of development projects planned for the North and Eastern Provinces, including an expressway connecting Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Trincomalee.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister of Internal and Home Affairs Vajira Abeywardena, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons and Cooperative Development Rishad Bathiudeen along with Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians, M.A Sumanthiran, Sivashakthi Ananthan, Dr S. Sivamohan, Shanthi Sri Skandharaja and Charles Nirmalanathan.