COLOMBO : President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the respective authorities to immediately call for applications to fill the long-standing vacancies for Maths, Science, English and Computer Technology teachers in schools. New recruitments will be made for existing vacancies in priority subjects on the basis of eight years of compulsory service in the same school to which the initial appointments were made.
“More lands are necessary to increase the cultivation of crops. Therefore we need to identify suitable lands for this purpose. To maximize the yield, the productivity of the lands is also important. Help farmers to get familiar with technology to increase the harvest.” President Rajapaksa emphasized.
The program to employ 100,000 persons from the families of the lowest income strata was implemented with the intention of eradicating poverty. Job recipients will be trained in a number of fields. The President urged not to disrupt this program which was designed for the benefit of the poorest of the poor.
The President expressed these views during the 12th “Discussion with the Village” program yesterday (Feb. 27) at the Kivulekadawala School premises in the Kivulekadawala Grama Niladhari Division, Gomarankadawala Divisional Secretariat in the Trincomalee district.
The “Discussion with the Village” program commenced on September 25, 2020 from Badulla district. Thereafter programs were organized covering Matale, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Kalutara, Moneragala , Kegalle, Kandy and Puttalam districts. The idea behind this program is for the President to talk to the rural communities living in remote and difficult areas without intermediaries about their long-standing unresolved problems and to present them directly to the officials in order to find solutions.
Problems that can be solved on the spot are instantly addressed. The rest which takes time to deal with are noted down to find solutions later. The objective of the program is to reach out to the people of the village, understand their problems and find solutions giving considerations to their own suggestions.
Gomarankadawala is located 45km away from Trincomalee town on the border of Morawewa, Kuchchaveli, Padavi Sri Pura and Horowpathana areas in the Anuradhapura district. The distance from the center of Gomarankadawala town to Kivulekadawala village is 8km. The Department of Archaeology has identified this village as a location with a number of cultural heritage sites belonging to the Anuradhapura period. Gomarankadawala and surrounding villages were frequently attacked by terrorists before the end of the war in 2009.
Kivulekadawala, Adampane, Kootitikulama and Konabendiwewa villages fall under the limits of Kivulekadawala Grama Niladhari Division. The total population of the Kivulekadawala village is 1191 consisting of 416 families. 125 out of them are Samurdhi beneficiaries. Paddy cultivation is the livelihood of the majority. Maize, Cowpea, Groundnut and vegetables are the other crops they cultivate.
The President on his way to Kivulekadawala College to participate in the “Discussion with the Village” program inquired the people gathered on roadside about the issues they face in the area while casually engaging in conversation with them. He also had a chat with the people from several nearby houses and asked about the paddy harvest in this season as well. The President explained the farmers that the government has taken steps to purchase paddy with moisture for a price of Rs. 43 that cannot be sold at a minimum price of Rs. 50 per kilo. President Rajapaksa said that farmers are free to sell their paddy either to the government or any other party at their own discretion and the government has not imposed any conditions regarding the matter.
Prior to the commencement of the “Discussion with the Village” session, President declared the “Smart Classroom” open which was completed by the SLT Mobitel and State Ministry of School Infrastructure and School Services in Kivulekadawala School. In addition, the President also presented a television and internet connections provided by the Dialog Axiata to the principal.
