State Minister of Provincial Councils, Local Government, and Environment Janaka Wakkumbura says that the government has successfully delivered on a significant portion of its promises under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Further, he asserted that the ongoing construction of 162 bridges is expected to be finished and officially handed over to the public before this August.

Wakkambura made these remarks during a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ on Monday (March 18).

Addressing the media briefing, State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura added:

“We, the government, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, have achieved a significant progress in fulfilling its promises, with the completion of a majority of commitments. Among these accomplishments is the ongoing construction of 162 bridges, with a budget exceeding Rs. 16,000 million allocated for this infrastructure project.

“Accordingly, some of those bridges will be made accessible to the public before 10 April, showcasing the government’s commitment to timely delivery and infrastructure development. Furthermore, the government aims to complete and hand over all 162 bridges to the public before August.

“Furthermore, a project worth Rs. 1,000 million allocated to the Local Government Institutes for enhancing tourist attraction sites is set to be completed by the end of August.

“The majority of the 29,000 multi-purpose development officers have already made permanent while leaving approximately 2,600 officials. We have requested these remaining officials to apply for the vacant positions.

“Moreover, permissions have been granted to recruit redundant employees for PL 1-2 sections, aimed at filling vacancies left by retiring personnel within this year.

“In addition to that, we aim to expedite the development projects across all ministries. The country is steadily recovering from the recent crisis, evident across various sectors. However, certain individuals are attempting to hinder progress and revert to the previous status. We are committed to enforcing the law against such disruptive individuals, irrespective of their rank or position.”