President instructs to expedite restoration of flood-damaged areas of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today reviewed the extent of damage caused by the recent floods in the country and discussed the relief to the flood-affected and the restoration of damaged infrastructure at a meeting with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on flood relief at the Temple Trees.


The Task Force convened for the first time under the patronage of President today, discussed the ways and means to restore properties and other livelihoods of people in all affected districts.


President Rajapaksa instructed authorities to expedite infrastructure restoration, rebuilding of roads, renovation of tanks, tank bunds and canals and other irrigation schemes and commence the rehabilitation work as soon as possible following a thorough assessment process.
The Task Force comprising relevant cabinet ministers and chief ministers of the affected provinces also discussed the relocation of people affected by landslides. It pointed out the need for material assistance for the people to rebuild their damaged houses and informed the President that steps have been taken to provide alternative lands to the affected.
The Ministry of Agriculture plans to provide seeds free of charge and a subsidy to purchase fertilizer in the open market to the farmers in order to restore the agriculture destroyed by the floods, the President was informed.
The President also discussed the importance of having an insurance policy that covers paddy fields in the event of natural calamities.
The government recently allocated 33 billion rupees for rehabilitation and restoration programs in the affected districts.
Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Basil Rajapaksa, Arumugam Thondaman, Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Provincial Chief Ministers Shashendra Rajapaksa, Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Sarath Ekanayaka, Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunge, Financial Secretary Dr. P B Jayasundara, and other Secretaries of Ministries also participated.