Government Information Department Publications Offices will be established in five districts and will be extended to all districts in the future, said Minister of Mass Media and Information, Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella.
"Government Publication Offices will be opened in the Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts in the future," he said.
He was speaking at the opening of the Government Information Department Publication Office at the Kandy District Secretariat.
He said that although there was a Government publishing office in Kandy, it was later closed down. The new office would enable anyone to obtain important publications related to various fields including Government Ordinances.
He said the Government Information Department has a history of 72 years since Independence in 1948 and has played a pivotal role in providing responsible and reliable information to the public. In addition, the people will have the opportunity to obtain ordinances passed by Parliament through this office as soon as they are passed, said Minister Rambukwella.
He added that this will be of great benefit to lawyers and school children.
The Minister said that the Ministry of Mass Media and Information has made big plans for the field of education and under this initiative, 25 selected schools from 25 districts will be identified as media schools and children who are interested in the media sector will be directed to them.
He said that in the developed countries, changes in the field of education are made not in the Ordinary Level or Advanced Level but in the lower classes.
He said that he preferred not to use the word 'failure' and that some people behave as if the world would end if they failed the GCE Ordinary Level.
He said that not only children but also parents need to understand that most of the people who have risen to the top in the business world are not necessarily those with a university education and that failing an exam does not ruin their lives.
Minister Rambukwella stated that the Foundation has a large number of resources and will create a unique educational institution centred on it.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Government Information Nalaka Kaluwewa said that the Department of Government Information has a legitimate responsibility to provide information to the public and that the Department uses all means to carry out information in a more reliable and responsible manner amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the Information Department has district offices and with the recent opening of new offices in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts, the establishment of district offices covering all 25 districts of the country has been completed.
Kaluwewa said that this has enabled the public to communicate that information by closely studying the development processes taking place at the district level.
During this ceremony, a computer was donated to the Kandy District Unit by the Government Information Department which was handed over to District Information Officer Thanuja Abeysekera by Minister Rambukwella.
Central Province Governor Lalith U Gamage, Kandy District Coordinating Committee Chairman Wasantha Yapa Bandara, Attorney-at-Law Gunathilake Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law Udayana Kirindigoda, Attorney-at-Law Jagath P. Wijeweerawere also present.
