'NO TO AID'

-President Rajapakse says-

President Mahinda Rajapakse says Sri Lanka government would not be dependent on foreign aid.

The president said that the government is prepared to accept aid but will not be dependent.
"If we are offered genuine aid we will take it; if not we will forget about aid and do our job", said President Rajapakse.
When asked for his views on the reported stopping of aid by the UK Government, President Rajapaksa said this could be a reference to post-tsunami aid offered to Sri Lanka.
“We will use our own money. We cannot wait for assistance from any sources to carry out our responsibilities”, the President added.

“Today, we use our own money for the resettlement work. We did not wait till the INGOs came with their money", he said.
President Rajapaske said the resettlement work is going on successfully'and the governement is providing electricity to the people being resettled.
New roads are being built in these areas. These are the causes for delays, but they are not reported”, he added.

President Rajapaksa said he had instructed officials carrying out resettlement work that there should be no difference in treatment for people from the South and the North and East.
“”The work of resettlement, whether the tsunami displaced or those displaced due to the conflict is the responsibility of the Government. We will discharge this obligation whether we get aid or not”, the President said.