PM says Clean Sri Lanka Depends on Willing Participation

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the Clean Sri Lanka programme is not something that should be implemented by force, but rather it should be based on the will and participation of all.

The Premier made this statement while responding to a question raised by a member of parliament during the parliamentary debate.

The Prime Minister further stated that, the main objectives of the Clean Sri Lanka programme are to set an example, motivate, guide and emphasize the need for change. “We hope to bring about positive changes in Sri Lankan society through this initiative. We strive to integrate and facilitate all efforts made in the country with social, moral and environmental principles to restore Sri Lanka as a developed nation. Our ultimate goal is to establish good governance concepts and establish values and ethics for interactions and human relations at all levels of our society, thereby creating a beautiful nation of smiling people” she said.

“A Presidential Task Force consisting of 19 members representing experts and social activists from various fields has been established to take conceptual and policy decisions at the national level for the implementation mechanism of the Clean Sri Lanka programme”, the Premier said.

“This includes identifying programmes to be implemented at the District level, raising public awareness, coordinating resource management, monitoring whether the projects being implemented are being implemented to achieve the proper objectives, informing relevant institutions about the obstacles that arise, and following up on whether the desired objectives have been achieved after the completion of the projects. This kind of programme has not been implemented before in this country. Our institutions and officials are used to a procedure of implementing something officially or by force. Whereas, this is something about changing the society through an internal change made in individuals and this a bit complicated method”, she added.

The Prime Minister informed that, there may be shortcomings; some may sabotage it with the wrong intention. Something unexpected may happen while comprehending and applying the concept. “But the transformation we expect is not something that can be implemented by force. Everyone's will and voluntary participation are invariably important in this” the Premier added.