Social Empowerment Welfare and Kandyan Heritage Minister S.B. Dissanayake said his Ministry has allocated Rs. 4 million for social welfare activities in the North Western Province.
He was addressing a gathering at an event held to mark the International Day for Older Persons at the Kurunegala Maliyadewa Girls’ School on Saturday.
The Minister said social values were slowly disappearing and loyalty, respect and love for teachers and elders would soon go away. He said Sri Lanka has 2,200,000 elders and 1,500,000 of them were undergoing severe economic and social difficulties. The Minister said the island has 331 elders’ homes and the Ministry has decided to construct another 74 in the Eastern Province in 2018.
Provincial Social Service Director G.K. Chandralatha said the Department has commemorated the day along with all elders’ home members in the North Western Province.
Wayamba Chief Minister Dharmasiri Dassanayake participated.