TNA concealing the truth about development in the North - Minister Devananda

Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda, at a ceremony to mark the opening of the new building for the Valikamam East Pradeshiya Sabha told the media that the TNA was lying both in Parliament and in foreign countries without divulging the truth about the mass-scale development activities carried out by the Government in the North.

The Minister said the Government was spending colossal sums of money for the ongoing massive development projects in the Northern region and millions of rupees had been spent for the construction of new buildings for Pradeshiya Sabhas.

Governor of the North, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri said the new building for the Valikamam East Pradeshiya Sabha had been constructed at a cost of Rs. 26 million and includes an ayurvedic dispensary and library.

He said at the request of Minister Devananda and under the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa had allocated funds for the construction of new buildings to several Pradeshiya Sabhas in the North. Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 60 million had been allocated for a building for Valikamam South Pradeshiya Sabha and Rs. 40 million each, to many other Pradeshiya Sabha buildings in the North, the Governor said.

He said that he could grant Rs. 200,000 more to each Pradeshiya Sabha for the purchase of equipment.