IT literacy must to benefit from development - Namal

Information Technology literacy is vital for truly reaping the fruits of development, said Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa.

Silver medalist R. M. Shivanti, ICTA Chairman Prof. P. W. Epasinghe, Senior Rural Affairs Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa and Telecommunication and Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

The MP points out that there should be an IT literate society if the benefits of development are to effectively accrue to Sri Lanka which is currently progressing in the path of development.

MP Namal Rajapaksa said so while officially inaugurating the 'e-diriya' national IT literacy initiative at the Vidyasagara Pirivena Buddhist Temple at Kotiyakumbura in Kegalle recently.

'e-diriya' initiative aims at providing a basic computer knowledge to 50,000 'Samurdhi' recipients and schoolchildren.

MP Namal Rajapaksa emphasised that information technology is an important tool in every sphere of the country's development. Due to this many take great interest in the use of IT as a tool. Pointing out that the number of the country's telephone connections had exceeded the population, MP Rajapaksa said further that the main objective of the 'e-diriya' national IT literacy initiative was to make use of the computers to reach such a level.

However MP Rajapaksa stressed that it was imperative that computers, internet and telephones are used for healthy purposes. The MP pointed out that the country's development becomes more meaningful only if the future generation becomes righteous. For this the background should be prepared by the schools, the MP added.

Participating in the occasion, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Chairman Professor P. W. Epasinghe pointed out that the widespread availability of ICT equipment such as computers and mobile phones should be accompanied by equally widespread availability of facilities to use them.

During this inauguration of this 'e-diriya' national IT literacy initiative, MP Namal Rajapaksa also launched the website www.e-diriya.lk.

Presenting of a laptop to R. M. Shivanti of St. Joseph's Girls' Mahavidyalaya, Kegalle who brought fame to Sri Lanka by winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Sports Meet 400 metre race also took place in this occasion.