Sri Lanka President vows higher living standards for disaster-hit families

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the Government will provide every possible form of assistance to help communities affected by the disaster rebuild their lives, even though the lives lost can never be replaced.

The President said his goal is to ensure that those affected achieve a standard of living higher than what they had before the disaster. He added that a strong programme is already being implemented successfully and stressed that people will not be asked to wait until 2048 for relief.

President Dissanayake made these remarks yesterday afternoon (January 09) while attending an event in the Vithikuliya area of Kobeigane to begin the construction of new houses and the payment of compensation to families in the Kurunegala District whose homes were completely destroyed by the disaster.

The programme is being carried out under the Rebuilding Sri Lanka initiative, which aims to restore livelihoods after the disaster. As part of this initiative, the PROJECT 5M programme, a flagship project, marked the start of house construction and compensation payments for families whose homes were fully damaged and who received technical approval to rebuild on the same land.

The programme covers the Divisional Secretariat areas of Nikaweratiya, Kobeigane, Rasnayakapura, Kotavehera, Pannala, Bingiriya, Mahawa and Wariyapola.

The President said that although many expected the country and people’s lives to take a long time to recover, the Government has already restored the nation and livelihoods to a considerable level. He also paid tribute to the Tri Forces, the state machinery and all others who worked with courage and dedication during the recovery process.

President Dissanayake further called on everyone to work together to strengthen the economy so Sri Lanka will be better prepared to face future disasters.

Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne; Members of Parliament; the Kurunegala District Secretary; Divisional Secretaries; other government officials and local residents were present at the event.