Public Investment in agriculture was reduced by 35 per cent last year, despite the Mahinda Rajapaksa government’s much touted Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu (Lets Grow to Develop the Country) policy, the UNP said yesterday.

Economist and UNP National List nominee at the forthcoming parliamentary election, Harsha de Silva told "The Island that the government had actually cut investment in agriculture from Rs. 23 billion in 2008, to Rs. 17 billion in 2009.

The "Mahinda Chintana" pledged to revive the agricultural sector, with its now hackneyed phrase"Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu – Lets Grow to Develop the Country", but the opposite had actually happened, he said.

The irony, he said, was that the Rajapaksas who claimed to be God Fathers of the rural poor, had increased public investment in roads and bridges by the exact percentage that was denied to the agricultural sector. "It is no secret that Sri Lanka has the world’s most expensive roads and fly overs."

Vital sectors such as education and health too suffered with investments being cut by 26 and 32 per cent respectively, he said.

"When everything from the cost of Ministers’ upkeep and tuition fees for children is increasing, the education budget which was Rs. 23 billion in 2008, was reduced to Rs.17 billion last year. The Healthcare allocation was brought down from Rs.19 billion in 2008 to Rs. 13 billion in 2009."

De Silva said that the public would have to brace for large scale deaths, as 50 persons have already died due to dengue in the last two months. According to the Country Head of WHO, dengue has spread to the rural areas as well.

(Island)