He said that this in turn would contribute to achieving equity in development throughout the country. The Government would strive to provide rural children education facilities on par with ones enjoyed by city children, the President said.

He said that earlier regimes had neglected development in the area as it was under constant threat due to terrorism.

“Now that the fear psychosis has ended under-privileged areas such as Puttalam are destined to achieve swift development,” he added. He said the Government was committed to supplement this new resurgence by enacting necessary infrastructure, education, health, industries etc. at the village level.

He added that through the Village Reawakening programme Gama Neguma, the Government had already spent Rs.38 billion to uplift rural villages and results were there for everybody to see. The total number of Grama Seva Divisions to be developed within three years is 14,000.

President Rajapaksa also said that these equal opportunities would also help rural areas to develop their own professionals in varied fields who could in future contribute effectively to the social and physical development in their own areas.

“We are now on the threshold of a peaceful and prosperous era. Thus, it is time to set petty differences aside and build our country under one flag,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the cheering public of Puttalam.