Developing the country by helping villages
Mr. R.M.Amerasekera’s recent article on how improving rural households and villages contributes to national development (Sunday Island Aug. 23) was interesting reading as I, during my long years in the public service, was privileged to be associated with projects to improve the living conditions of rural folk. In this context, mention should be made of […]
Mr. R.M.Amerasekera's article on improving rural households and villages to contribute to national development sparked interest. The author reflects on their experience in the public service where they worked on projects to enhance rural living conditions. One such project was led by a down-to-earth politician, D.B.Wijetunga, who served as Minister for Highways and Power & Energy.
During his tenure, Wijetunga prioritized road improvements and allocated more funds to Provincial and District Road Committees. He also emphasized the importance of expanding footpaths and providing transportation for farmers, such as tractors and small vans for school children.
Wijetunga's interest in electrification led him to consult his Secretary, Prof. K.K.Y.W. Perera, about securing a loan from the Asian Development Bank. The bank agreed to provide funding, but only for financially viable villages. A survey was conducted to identify eligible villages, which was overseen by Engineer Maxie Tissera. Parliament members contributed to the project by using their decentralized budgets to provide electricity to villages that were not initially listed.
The author, G.A.Sirimal, expressed pride in their involvement in both projects during their career as an Assistant Secretary to the Ministries for Highways and Ministry for Power & Energy.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
