COLOMBO : President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has told officials to plant two million different types of saplings on both sides of the main roads to create an environment friendly atmosphere.
The president gave this instruction during a meeting The President held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday Sept.15 on the future plans of the State Ministry of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure.
The President instructed the officials to take measures to completely stop parking all vehicles on the pavements on both sides of the main roads. He also said that providing parking facilities should be mandatory in the construction of buildings including apartment complexes and shopping malls.
He also entrusted officials with the responsibility of completing the construction of 100,000 km of rural roads and connecting them to the main road network by 2024.
The President told officials that it is the right of every citizen to meet one’s transportation needs comfortably, quickly and safely. The “Vision of Prosperity” policy statement guarantees the people an efficient and high quality road network that overcomes the backwardness and broken interconnection of the transport system.
The President also emphasized that the construction of 100,000 km of rural and by-roads throughout the country should be done in an environmentally friendly manner.
The President said that new bridges should be built to replace small bridges, vine bridges and footbridges. Work on 8,000 km of roads has commenced in the past few months. Out of this 400 km of roads have been completed.
The President said that all District Secretaries are responsible for providing the required quantity of soil, stones and sand to be used in road construction.
The President also stressed that all institutions, including the environment, wildlife, forestry and archeology, which should approve the provision of resources, should meet at the district level and give prior approval.
Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, State Minister Nimal Lansa, Basil Rajapaksa, Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival, Secretary to the President PB Jayasundera, Cabinet and Secretaries to Ministries, officials of line institutions and representatives of contracting companies were also present at the discussion.