The Prime Minister made these remarks at the inaugural ceremony to launch the Gamperaliya programme on the Madatta Tank bund at Nikaweratiya yesterday. In line with the inaugural programme, the renovation work of the Madatta tank will also commence under the patronage of the Prime Minister.
Bank loans under Enterprise Sri Lanka programme will be issued to beneficiaries in the Nikaweratiya area by the ‘People’s Bank’ and ‘Bank of Ceylon’ branches that was opened by the Prime Minister in the Nikaweratiya town yesterday. He handed over loans to those who had applied for funds for their enterprises.
The Prime Minister said under the Gamperaliya programme, the rural community will be strengthened economically since rural community will undertake most of the development and infrastructure development activities in the area such as road construction, irrigation systems development and maintenance. The PM Wickremesinghe said that the Gamperaliya and Enterprise Sri Lanka programmes are not limited to Nikaweratiya but will spread throughout the country and all rural communities will be benefitted. Every village will reap the dividends of this programme.
Through the Enterprise Sri Lanka programme, rural entrepreneurs can obtain loans from state banks to develop their enterprises. Anyone can obtain a loan to begin an enterprise or develop a existing business.
“Transactions in the village will drastically go up when the rural community receives more money through the Gamperaliya and Enterprise Sri Lanka programmes. Besides, the rural economy will be strengthened by these programmes,” the Prime Minister said.
He further added that unlike in the past, no one will be allowed to loot the resources of the village under the guise of development activities. He pointed out that certain businessmen lute the resources of tanks when they were renovated. But under the Gamperaliya programme, farmers’ society of the village will receive resources of the tank such as sand when renovating. It has been planned to bring new laws for this, the Prime Minister said.a
