Complete 100,000 km of road development by 2024: President instructs officials

By Lahiru Pothmulla  

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the officials to complete the national programme to develop 100,000 kilometres of roads by 2024, the President’s Media Division said.   

Speaking at a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the future plans of the State Ministry of Rural Roads and other Infrastructure Development, President Rajapaksa on Wednesday said each citizen has a right to obtain easy and comfortable access to roads.   

He also said the programme to develop roads should be carried out without harming the environment and it had been decided at the meeting to plant two million plants beside the main roads.   

The President said minor bridges, suspension bridges and pole bridges should be replaced with new ones.   

According to the PMD, construction of 8,000 kilometres of roads had already commenced in the past few months out of which 4,000 km of roads  had been completed.   

The President said the responsibility of providing stones and sands to construct roads would lie with all District Secretaries while the approval to construct a road should be given by all relevant institutions that met at  the district level meeting.   

President Rajapaksa instructed officials to take measures to prevent  drivers from parking their vehicles on pavements.