Police used least force on protesters - Minister
Lakshmi DE SILVA
Police used the least force against the graduates who staged a
protest march at the High Security Zone in Colombo on Wednesday.
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Minister Anura Yapa |
Police officers on duty at the time did not carry batons with them
but used water cannon and tear gas when the mob became unruly, Mass
Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the weekly
Cabinet press briefing yesterday.
"During the past four years, the Government has provided over 52,000
employment opportunities to graduates. To provide employment in the
Government sector, there should be vacancies existing or financial
provision for more employment.
As there were no vacancies or additional funds, there was no way to
employ them," he said.
He said the Government alone could not provide jobs but the private
sector too should join in this endeavour.
With the reduction of bank interest rates more employment
opportunities would also be created, the Minister said.
"There are about 16,000 graduates coming out of universities every
year. But the Government cannot provide employment to all who come out
from national universities and international universities," he said.
When the UNP was in power in 2002, they wanted to reduce the number
of public servants by retrenchment to 400,000. The UPFA Government
increased the cadre from 700,000 to 1.1 million at present, he said. He
said that causing obstruction on the highways by holding protests of
this nature is not a method to solve the unemployment problem.
After defeating terrorism now we have reached the development era
where there would be more employment opportunities.
More employment opportunities were available in the private sector,
he noted.
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