A series of awareness programmes have been launched by the Sri Lanka Podujana Engineers Front on Government facilitations granted for Samurdhi beneficiary families to obtain electricity, Engineer Ravihara Kulatunga said yesterday (19).
“Accordingly, 248 such awareness programmes will be held islandwide. The inaugural programme was launched at Hali-ela Foreign Employment Bureau,” he added.
Kulatunga said, “There are more than 5 million houses in the country. Around one million do not have electricity. The total cost to provide electricity to 68,332 families will be around Rs.1,284 million, of which Rs.750 million has already been allocated by this year’s budget to provide electricity to needy families.
He was speaking at a press brief organised by the Sri Lanka Podujana Engineers Front at the SLPP headquarters in Battaramulla yesterday (19).
Many people have observed that providing electricity will not solve all the problems surrounding the lack of it. Accordingly, the Government has decided to provide loans to Samurdhi families to purchase necessary equipment to obtain electricity facilities. We are carrying out these awareness programmes to educate people of the facility given to them by the Government.”
Kulatunga also observed that the Engineers’ Front is dedicated to implement the Deyata Eliya programme which was launched under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Engineer Janaka Rathnakumara said, “When we look at the development of this country, 75% of all industries comprise small and medium scale industries. Its contribution is 52%. More than 45% of the job seekers are from these industries. Therefore, based on eight criteria, we are training those who are involved in small and medium enterprises on how to produce a product at a competitive level to suit the international market. Developing and standardization of our local products are crucial to improve our business. We have planned to connect the village to universities as a way to develop our industrial products. A number of programmes have been prepared by the Engineers’ Front. As engineers, we plan to make use of all the engineers in this country to contribute to the development of our country.”