Deyata Kirula opens

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremoniously declared open the 8th Deyata Kirula National Development Exhibition yesterday at Kuliyapitiya.

The massive development exhibition, held annually since 2006 will be held until 28 February at the Wayamba University Technical College and the Central College of Kuliyapitiya.

The Deyata Kirula exhibition is being held in rural areas with the aim of developing those areas. The exhibition brings massive infrastructure development, especially roads and public facilities to the area slated to hold the Deyata Kirula exhibition.

The exhibition showcases products and services from over 1,000 government, private and international organizations, displays the past development activities in the country as well as future development projects.

This year, the Deyata Kirula Exhibition premises spans over 162 acres and almost every ministry is showcased. A large number of private sector organizations are also taking part.

According to Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the government has spent Rs. 50 billion on establishing infrastructure facilities in Puttalam and Kurunegala districts in the North Western Province and Kegalle District in Sabaragamuwa Province in preparation for the national exhibition. About 3.3 million people in the three districts have received benefits from the infrastructure projects.

The police had deployed around 6,000 police officers to provide security to the visitors, the Police Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana said. The police have requested the public not to bring big traveling bags into the exhibition.