The subcommittee established under the 'Rebuilding Sri Lanka' Presidential Task Force has been convened for its fifth meeting at the Presidential Secretariat to review the progress of restoring social infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. 

The meeting held yesterday (21), was chaired by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Dr Upali Pannilage, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. 

Extensive discussions were held on the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah and on addressing the challenges encountered during the rebuilding process.  

Minister Dr Upali Pannilage pointed out that the subcommittee is responsible for monitoring and reporting to the main committee on the progress of restoring various categories of social infrastructure during the post-disaster period, including education, healthcare, cultural infrastructure and public amenities, the PMD stated. 

He emphasized that the subcommittee also has the responsibility of ensuring that existing issues are resolved promptly and of providing policymakers with the necessary information to facilitate policy decisions whenever required. 

Particular attention was given to the provinces most severely affected by the disaster. During the meeting, Chief Secretaries of the respective provinces joined virtually to present updates on the progress of infrastructure restoration in their provinces, while Commissioners of Local Government provided progress reports on the restoration of public amenities through the online platform, the statement added.