(UTV|COLOMBO) – New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential candidate Minister Sajith Premadasa said the Tea Industry will experience a revolutionary period under his administration.
He said the forthcoming Presidential election will be a decisive one which will chart the country’s forward march and its vision for the future.
“I will always give priority to the national identity and needs of the nation and its people during my political life because people are the greatest asset of the country and their authority as rulers in transient,” Premadasa said.
Premadasa was speaking at an election meeting held at Hali-Ela recently.
Premadasa said the National agenda should be formulated in keeping with people’s needs and rights.
If the national agenda was formulated according to the whims and fancies of a single family the people in general would be relegated to the background.
Therefore people should gain priority in formulating a national agenda.
Minister Premadasa said they would never condone family bandism or entertain a coterie of close friends. His programme of work would be a people-centred programme and people with blood stained hands and those who have usurped state assets and property would not be included in a Premadasa government. He said a revolutionary change should be made in the tea industry which is a vital foreign exchange earner. Tea small holders had a problem about the prices they received for their green leaf supplies. He would look into the problem and ensure a stable price for green leaf supplied by small holders. Minister Premadasa said that increased state patronage and subsidies should be provided to tea small holders as regards their tea replanting programme. At the same time, the economic and social needs and rights of the plantation workers should also be looked into in detail.
Premadasa said according to his programme of work stringent action would also be taken to combat the narcotic drugs trade and save the young generation from this social menace.
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