A round the clock public information Hotline ‘1965’ was established by Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday (24) for the public to obtain information regarding essential services and connect with the State mechanism during the period of the travel restrictions and beyond.
Inaugurating the 1965 Hotline service Minister Namal Rajapaksa said this hotline was established on the directive of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa connecting the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation led by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa in order to resolve the issues of the people.
“This 1965 hotline was established with the aim of further improving the efficiency of coordinating between public and State establishments with regard to the distribution of essential commodities and services during the period under travel restrictions. Our aim was primarily to create a close link between the public and the state mechanism during this restricted period and even further until the country is safe from this pandemic.
We invite the people of this country to contact this hotline 1965 during this period and during the period of travel restrictions on access to essential services and essential goods if there are any instances where their lives have been disrupted due to the Corona disaster or if there are any coordination issues with the State machinery.
This centre has been established at Temple Trees on the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister and Basil Rajapaksa in order to connect the public with the relevant Government agencies.”
He said that the Government intends to establish and maintain a problem coordination centre in each area through the village committees at the divisional level, bringing together the Divisional Secretariat, the Pradeshiya Sabha and the Community Police.
“We hope to take the process further and coordinate the people with the Cabinet and State Ministries through the 1965 Centre. In particular, we urge the public to use the 1965 number if there are any problems during the period of travel restrictions to access essential services.”
He added that the government aims to continue this service even with or without the Covid pandemic as essential services are vital for the economic progress of the country.
Ministers of State D.V. Chanaka, Kanchana Wijesekera, Roshan Ranasinghe, Sanath Nishantha, Janaka Wakkumbura, Government officials and officials of the 1965 Telephone Hotline Centre were also present.
(Daily News)
