The Central Expressway will be extended to Dambulla, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said.
He made this observation participating in the National Programme to award one million ‘Ranbima’ deeds islandwide in line with the ‘Prosperity and Splendour’ National Policy.
The event was held at the Ransara Festival Hall, Kurunegala and the land deeds were presented to 400 beneficiaries in the North Western Province.
The programme is implemented by the Land Reforms Commission.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that the Opposition, while criticizing the negative aspects of the Government, should also have the courtesy to appreciate the good deeds.
The Premier observed that the expressway to Dambulla would have been built a long time ago, had not the Government changed in 2015.
“Steps have been taken to start the expressway from Kurunegala to Kandy. Minister S.M. Chandrasena is requesting to extend that expressway to Dambulla.We will definitely do that,” he added.
“As a government we will do everything we can.The President has taken steps to look into village level issues too by meeting villagers. This will encourage the officers to complete the work expeditiously,” he noted.
“When the Land Reforms Commission was set up in 1970, the Government took over some lands. The Commission continues to hand over those lands to landless people. People who were residing in those lands for a long period have faced problems when they apply for a bank loan as they do not have a valid deed,” the Premier pointed out.
The Prime Minister also handed over a PCR machine worth Rs.5.4 million to the Kurunegala Hospital from the decentralized fund of Kurunegala Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa.
Ministers S.M Chandrasena, Johnston Fernando, State Ministers Arundika Fernando, Lohan Ratwatte, D.B. Herath, Priyankara Jayaratne, MPs Asanga Navaratne, Manjula Dissanayake, Sumith Udukumbura, Charitha Herath, Gunapala Ratnasekera, Jayaratne Herath, Shantha Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Lands R. A. A. K. Ranawaka and Land Commission Chairman Nilantha Wijesinghe were present.
