Lanza underlines importance of keeping economy ticking, while strictly following health guidelines to keep virus at bay

State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Nimal Lanza said on Tuesday that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had instructed the government to take necessary steps to keep the lives of the people intact in the face of the Covid-19 crisis and to continue the economic process as well as development activities.

  A discussion was held on the same day at the Wattala Divisional Secretariat under the patronage of  State Minister of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure, Nimal Lanza and State Minister of Rural Industrial Promotion, Prasanna Ranaweera regarding revitalizing the lives of the people in the Gampaha District by controlling the spread of Covid-19, providing an allowance of Rs. 5,000 to eligible families who are facing financial problems due to the curfew and distributing essential food bags worth Rs. 10,000 to quarantined families. 

 State Minister, Nimal Lanza addressing the gathering said steps had been taken to streamline the mechanism for providing the necessary facilities to the people by implementing the decisions taken at the recent discussion chaired by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for economic revival and poverty eradication, Basil Rajapaksa on maintaining the lives of the people in the face of the pandemic situation.  Accordingly, on the instructions of Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga, State Ministers and Members of Parliament have taken steps to maintain those guidelines more accurately in every electorate in the Gampaha District.

“No country in the world has stopped its economic activities due to the Covid-19.  Even in the face of the crisis, the country has to continue the economic process.  Otherwise our country will collapse in every field and also face an economic disaster”, Lanza warned.  State Minister Lanza said that the development of the country should be taken forward, while strictly following health guidelines to keep the pandemic at bay.

 Former Western Provincial Councillor Randir Rodrigo, Chairman of Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha Thyagiratne Alwis, Deputy Chairman of Wattala Pradeshiya Sabha Jagath Jayatunga, Wattala Divisional Secretary and a number of government officials were present on the occasion.