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President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Sri Lanka has come in for much praise from foreign leaders for the manner in which it handled the crisis compared to other countries affected by the tsunami. They had also commended the resilience of our people. The President was pleased the government could bring the country to relative normalcy within a short period of five days. She lamented the tsunami wrecked havoc but she said the people were now working with dedication and have risen above cast, creed and religion. The President lauded Minister C. B. Ratnayake for initiating the establishment of a team such as the NDRT to face disasters. Emphasizing the need for disaster preparedness, she lamented Sri Lanka has now been termed disaster prone. The President was happy the Government was able to provide relief even to distant places like Jaffna by the afternoon of the 26th of December disaster and control the spread of epidemics in the aftermath. The President spoke of the government’s plan to establish a high-tech National Disaster Management Centre with the assistance of Japan and the USA. She said “This is a good opportunity for us to rebuild houses and buildings in the coastal belt systematically according to a formal plan. All that is required is dedication.” The Central Province Governor Hon. Monty Gopallawa, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and the Medium & Small-scale Plantations and Rural Human Resources Development Ministry officials and the Ministry Secretary Mr. J. R. D. S. Gunaratne were in attendance.
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The
National Youth Corps has put together a National Disaster Response Team [NDRT]
of young men and women. The Ministry of Medium and Small Scale Plantations
& Rural Human Resource Development was behind the move. The first 1,250
successful trainees were at the President’s House for their initiation
ceremony on Monday 31st January.
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