Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said today on 2020.11.18, at the opening ceremony of the second phase of the Kelani River South Shore Water Supply Project, that all the activities required to provide water to all have been planned by the end of 2024.
The second phase of the water supply project in Kelani, South Shore Water Supply Project opened to the public after exposing the Samaru Plate first.
At this occasion, the Chairman of the National Water Supply and Water Transport Board, Nishantha Ranathunga presented the collective plan to the Hon. Prime Minister, which is the objectives and plans of the Water Supply Board for the period of 2021-2025
Today is a very important day for us. Today it’s been a year since the President took over the country. I must say that the first year of the government is a very important time in the country.
My friends,
A very difficult country was handed over to us on the 2019th of November 2019 It’s not the country we handed over in 2015, it was given back to us in 2019 We handed over that day to a country where we can stop a war and free 1/3 people in the country and come to travel freely. In 2015, we handed over this country to a historically high value of the country. We handed over a new port, a new airport, a highway network, a country which has built roads all over the country and created a historic development. We handed over a country which was self-nourished by Sahlin. Also we handed over 2015 to a country which started many huge development projects that were ready to complete by 2020
2015 Government came to stop all the projects we were supposed to complete in 2020 Not only stopped, until then we started taking revenge on all the projects we had done on this earth. Not only us, we took revenge from the buildings we built. Mattala airport was stored in buildings, Mahinda we built all over the country was removed and thrown away the boards of labs. They tortured me so much that I will release some war heroes if they are jailed and betrayed Rajapaksha. The soldiers who went to war to protect the motherland were treated as criminals. Lived hiding in the fear of when the army soldiers will be naughty. Results of these came. After 2010, a country which was protected without even a single bomb was being burnt, the whole world was hearing bombs. The whole country saw how irresponsible the government acted in the Easter Commission that day.
This is why we say that in 2020 a country which was weaker, destroyed, lost security than the country we handed over in 2015 was handed over to us. A failed country was handed over to us. But friends, if we continue to keep this country in 2015, I must say a country that met many goals in 2020 has been built by now.
We now have a warranty left on both sides. One is to rebuild the country which was broken after 2015 The other crisis is to move this country forward facing the COVID-19 crisis the world has to face.
The damage that happened to the country due to the COVID-19 crisis is more serious than the damage caused by the war. Foreign workers brought the biggest income to this country. Not only did the monthly income from them stopped, but also had to bring them back to Sri Lanka. Millions of lives, the tourism movement has been deployed. The garment industry turned back in a week. The fishing industry collapsed overnight. Thousands of people who have lived through the transportation services have been helpless. Crashed from a seller on payment to a super store.
In a country like that we should pay a billion dollars a year. The opposition thought we couldn’t pay off that dollar billion debt last August. We paid off that debt because we stopped importing unnecessary things that reduce government expenses. They bet the government won’t be able to pay this billion dollars. But under all these income losses we paid off that $ billion loan payment on time.
Though we lost income from foreign laborers, we have lost all income daily from the tourism industry to the fishing industry to transport, we have had to reserve millions of PCR tests per day. Like in other countries, thousands of patients have been saved without letting them die. Thousands have to be recovered. Not only that, all the businesses in this country have to provide relief. Government employees have had to pay their salary of 15 lakhs on time. Not only that, the Yahapalana government has given us this much relief by giving up 13 % taxes that affect the people from the 25 % taxes, leaving all the income that the treasury has received.
Even though we are like that, we won’t cry blaming the past. We didn’t look at our enemies last year. We were looking at our strength. To our courage.
As soon as the Codid-19 epidemic is over, we have taken all the steps we need to get rid of the country from all sectors. Brought the sun from abroad. Brought the kite from abroad too. Brought it from abroad even from Kohu. We stopped it all today. From clay pit, yellow pot to tire, a program has been started to build our country.
The opposition party always thought that the people of this country are a failed nation. The people of this country brought everything out of the country thinking that it is a pale. Sold all the companies thinking that the country is a pay. But we will make the people of this country equal to the good governance by taking our program forward. Bringing our country a great achievement. In the past year, we have created a program that gives lakh jobs. Under that 34,000 have already been hired. We worked to give jobs to 60,000 unemployed graduates in the government.
I remember when we came to power in 2005 our first year went by so patiently. In the first year, the program to free the country was planned for the first year. That’s what we did this past year too. We’ve faced a terrible situation over 2005 But now we have taken the most correct decision that can be taken as a country.
No matter what difficulties we have, we have taken many steps forward to build a country that is not under anyone. To see the war heroes in the riot, the human rights proposal that brought the two rohie forces to the country has been removed. No matter how hard it is, we move forward as people who betray the country or don’t bow down. So we make very right decisions and move forward this year.
Today we will be opening the watering program for everyone. Next we want to provide clean drinking water to the people of the whole country. Currently, the people of our country get drinking water forty percent. Less than fifty-four percent. But by 2021 we are ready to give drinking water to the people of the whole country. We have planned to invest thousands of billion rupees from yesterday’s budget. We are using local engineers to drive 40000 kilometers of water pipes across Sri Lanka. That program is something that the government should do in the past. But we don’t blame them. We are fulfilling that responsibility. All the activities required to provide water to everyone by the end of 2024 have been planned and completed. The Minister of Water Supply should thank the Chief Secretary, the Chairman and the officers for this.
We are also moving forward the program that we build 14,000 houses ′′ A house for you, a tomorrow for the country ′′ Not only that, a 100 apartment complex is built on every seat. These are the things we spent money to do in 2015
They are not made in the jungle like the previous government made them. Hospitals, schools, shops are made in an environment where everything is there. They’re not made to borrow people who buy those houses.
And we are starting the project to expand the Katunayake International Airport. We do these in a liquor scene.
The first year is important to a government not because of how many more years they will be in power. That’s why we don’t work by looking at the number of days in the government, but about the future of the people of this country. We are working on a year spent amidst many difficulties and every day ahead is the days that decide the future of this country. The people of this country supported our journey then also. We are sure that they will get that support in the future.
I hope your water problem living in Gampaha district has been solved. It was a victory we got. The Prime Minister said this.
Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka Eric Lavartu, Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkar, Minister Prasanna Ranathunga, State Ministers Sanath Nishantha, Nimal Lanza, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Prasanna Ranaweera, Indika Anuruddha, MP Sahan Pradeep, Chairman of National Water Supply and Drainage Board Nishantha Ranathunga, Secretary to the Ministry of Water Supply, Priyath Bandu Wickram, including many government officials and classic guests were present.
