Sri Lanka way ahead in Tsunami recovery

Rohan MATHES

Sri Lanka has achieved 80 per cent success in Tsunami rebuilding ahead of other countries affected by the Boxing Day catastrophe.

“In contrast to the other Tsunami devastated countries, the Sri Lankan Government has performed a tremendous job in its relief, re-habilitation and re-settlement process, with an overall 80 per cent success,” Cabinet Spokesman Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet news briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium in Narahenpita, Yapa said despite the war to conquer territory from the terrorists plus other global and local ‘controllable and uncontrollable’ factors, the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime had not in any way curtailed the provision of welfare facilities to the people, nor held back mega development projects vital for the country’s infrastructure development.

In the security sphere too, the Government had done well to protect the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the country.

Yapa said as per the statistics of the progress report on tsunami-related housing to-date, the number of permanent houses already completed has been 99,497, out of which 20,175 have been donor assisted and 76,703 units with direct monetary assistance from the State.

Around 19,791 units are still in progress, out of which 7,253 are donor assisted and 12,443 are owner driven.

“These are very credible achievements for Sri Lanka,” he added. Nevertheless, he revealed that there were shortfalls and diverse impediments in the process with the result that some victims are still being deprived of their permanent shelters.

“Some were refusing to move out, while some have failed to secure suitable blocks of land especially in Colombo,” he said.

Yapa categorically refuted allegations made by certain Media Watch organisations claiming that there had been nine killings of journalists this year. He pointed out that to his knowledge, there had been only one slaying of a journalist, belonging to the Udayan newspaper, and this was under police investigation.

He was of the view that some others who called themselves journalists, were not necessarily so.

“We have a clear-cut and streamlined process of ascertaining the genuineness of journalists, with reference to their professionalism, with the interest of journalists itself in mind. The Government is bound to protect the interests of journalists”.

“Most of them, do not meet the required criteria in their education standards, training and their language presentation skills and therefore, could not be deemed as journalists. They have not been accredited journalists, recognised by the Media Ministry,” he said.

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena referring to certain allegations made by the UNP pertaining to the overwhelming victory at the third reading of the Budget, pointed out that they were baseless, as there was no reason for the JVP or any other party to vote against the budget.

The Government has achieved a record in the number of jobs provided to unemployed youth which has made a tremendous impact on the country’s development.

It had increased the salaries of workers, despite the pressing issues and obstacles faced. “The conspiracy of the UNP has failed and we feel we could do an excellent job in the future,” he said.

The Director Media Anusha Pelpita also addressed the press conference.