"The opening the Lak Sathosa outlet in Jaffna is a dream come true"

Says -Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare

(August 04, Jaffna, Sri lanka Guardian) A branch of Lak Sathosa was ceremonially opened in Jaffna on the 28th of July 2009 by Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and Hon. Bandula Gunawardane, Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services.

Minister Douglas Devananda, addressing the participants said that he untiringly made every endeavour for making available the essential and other commodities in par with the Colombo prices and that his long cherished dream has now come true, through the opening of this Lak Sathosa outlet. The people of Jaffna are extremely happy to see the coming up of this CWE branch, being amply proved by the large number of consumers flocked to the place for purchase of their requirements. Minister Devananda whilst appreciating this gesture of good-will thanked the Government and Minister Bandula Gunawardane on behalf of the people of Jaffna.

Bandula Gunawardane, Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services speaking at the occasion said that it was due to the untiring efforts of Minister Devananda that it was possible to open a branch of CWE in Jaffna and it was the bounden duty of people of Jaffna to extend their unstinting support to Minister Devananda for development of Jaffna peninsula.

On this same day a meeting was held, headed by Minister Bandula Gunawardene with the representatives and Management of Multi Purpose Co-operative Societies (MPCS), Palmyra and Coconut Development Co-operative Societies and Weaving and Small Industries Co-operative Societies of the peninsula. At this meeting Minister Devananda stated that the President is to hold a high level conference in Colombo for development of Co-operative Societies in the Jaffna peninsula and it was also to be decided to pay compensation to the MPCS affected by the war and natural disasters like Tsunami and Nisha, the cyclonic wind that hit Jaffna some time back.

Minister Bandula Gunawardane said that the President has waived off all the taxes payable by the MPCS under the “Mahinda Chinthana” policy programme and has allocated Rs. 01 million for opening of 1000 co-ops in Jaffna peninsula for providing with essential and other commodities at reasonable prices.

-Sri Lanka Guardian