Nothing can break up Maithri-ranil coalition: Sajith
Housing Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa said he will never allow any force or individual to break up the political marriage between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He said they will protect this political marriage even at the cost of their lives.the minister was addressing a meeting after opening a model village on February 16.
The minister said various people cried hoarse from political platforms about coalition agreements between various political groups. Whatever they may say, the Maithri-ranil political marriage would not be allowed to be broken because it was made by the vast majority of people by exercising their voting rights at a general election.
Minister Premadasa said critics including political opponents were deriding the housing programme launched by his ministry alleging that the houses bestowed on the people through this programme were tiny houses insufficient for families to move about.
He said he invites critics to visit the housing scheme opened by him and visit each house to see how spacious they are since these houses were being built by the beneficiaries themselves, according to their requirements with funding and other assistance afforded by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) and other philanthropist.
Minister Premadasa said the plot of land in the extent of 40 perches given to each beneficiary family was about Rs.1 million, apart from the loan granted for building the house, electricity and water supplies and other infrastructure facilities which were provided free of change. The ministry had spent nearly Rs. 93.5 million on the new re-awakened village.
He said he would ask critics whether they built a single house for the homeless during the 52-day pseudo government following the recent political conspiracy. Public administration and Disaster Management Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara and Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri were also present on the occasion. (DGI)