President Ranil Wickremesinghe met Bishop Dr Valence Mendis at the Bishop’s House in Kandy today (20). The President inquired about Bishop Velance Mendis’ well-being and engaged in a cordial discussion with him. Special attention was devoted to the estate people’s difficulties, notably the housing issue. Even after 200 years since the plantation workers arrived in Sri Lanka, they were still not guaranteed a decent standard of living.
The Bishop also briefed the President on some of the issues that have arisen in the Central Province’s education sector, and in accordance with the President’s instructions, Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and Chief of the Presidential Staff, coordinated the Bishop and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education for some issues that were hard to solve.
In addition, the Bishop stated that the people are experiencing serious problems as a result of the dilapidated road system in plantations, including Nuwara Eliya, and he requested that the President take appropriate action to develop the road system.
Rev. Fathers of the Diocese, Minister Jeevan Thondaman, State Minister Dilum Amunugama, Sanath Nishantha, Central Province Governor Attorney-at-Law Lalith U. Gamage, former Minister Ravi Karunanayake, and other officials were present at this event.
