Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake says the Government is implementing a people-centered and sustainable urban development programme aimed at creating cities where people can live comfortably, rather than focusing solely on concrete buildings.
The Minister made these remarks while addressing the official launch of the “Life Cities” development programme, introduced under the “A New Approach to Urban Development” initiative in line with the “Cities for people– Built for life” policy.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya also attended the event held in Colombo.
Minister Rathnayake further stated that the Government has allocated Rs. 65 billion to develop 26 cities across the country.
“Some cities may have a school as their heart, while for others, it may be another place. Therefore, urban development must be carried out with the proper understanding of each city.
“We initially selected 10 cities. We are implementing these projects based on the principle that a city is not merely a collection of buildings. Begin the work from tomorrow, and further funding will be allocated based on the progress demonstrated by the mayors,” he said.
