Former UNP Minister criticises state policies

A former United National Party Minister has strongly criticised government policies pertaining to development and housing strategies.
At a meeting held at the Sameera Hotel, Ja-Ela on Sunday to the launch of Ja-Ela UNP's local government election campaign, former Speaker and Minister, Joseph Michael Perera lashed out at government policies in which he too is a part, saying: “The Muthurajawela marshes are reclaimed without any proper plan and without considering the repercussions as to heavy flooding the surrounding areas and without preventing floods, the authorities were planning to provide flood relief every month”.
He said that the excess rain water from the surrounding areas flowed to the Muthurajawela marshes earlier acting as a cushion in absorbing the rain water but due to the filling up of these marshes it is resulting in heavy floods every month (time) it rains.
He accused all the governments of land in the area being grabbed for various development purposes with no consideration of the housing needs of the people living in the area. Though there is a ministry called Megapolis no town planning is done for Ragama, Kandana or Ja-Ela towns.
He said that the era of plundering  the services and resources of the people must have to be stopped and the government’s funds should be properly spent for the genuine services to the people and stop the politicians who after the victory of elections try to grab government tenders.  
He said that some state employees who are assigned to switch on street lamps and some assigned to collect garbage instead hire three wheelers which has to be stopped. 
He believed that his criticism of government policies could result in him losing his present positions in the government, but whatever the results he is now posed to launch a fight to correct these ills affecting the people.
Ajith P Perera, Deputy Minister, Power and Renewable Energy, who presided at the meeting, said that the Government with the present budget offered major relief for the people in upgrading the standard of living and were able to fulfill the promise of the government to enable an average people to buy a utility car and reduced the tax on small cars by one million rupees.  
He said that the Government through the budget takes steps to reduce the impact on the environment due to fossil fuel burning by vehicles and diesel and coal power plants, by reducing taxes to the zero level on installing solar power energy. (Quintus)