‘All MPs should join hands to assist flood victims’

"Disaster-stricken people can be provided with succour only if all elected representatives join hands to come to their assistance.

It is because all parliamentarians were elected by the people to render some service to them," Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister and Mahaweli Development State Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. The Minister was addressing a meeting held at Walasmulla last week to mark the distribution of relief items to the displaced in the area, Minister Amaraweera said that the disaster had passed now leaving a trail of destruction and that all should join hands to rebuild the lives of the affected and take steps to prevent such tragedies from happening in future.

He said the opposition cannot wash their hands off by arguing that the government should bear the brunt of the relief effort and take responsibility for the people's plight,

"No country was able to present national disasters however much it is technologically developed. The United States had to constantly brace up for national calamities - tornados, forest fires, cyclones and floods.

UK security forces could not prevent the Manchester and London terrorist attacks despite its sophisticated security apparatus," he said.

"As a government, they could provide material needs of the people quickly, but rebuilding their lives would take a little time, the Minister said.

"Although opponents accused that the government is unable to manage the disaster, it was the proper management of the government that brought everything under control very fast.

“All ministers and parliamentarians visited the affected and looked into their needs. But certain quarters did nothing concrete to help the affected other than accusing and blaming the government.”

He said the media should be thanked for performing its duty and responsibility properly during the disaster by keeping people informed about the development.