The Industry and Commerce kicked-off its 2014 sessions -with a difference. Employees of Industry and Commerce became the lucky fulcrum of an unusual event as 2014 sessions popped on 07 January with an unusual seasonal hamper.
Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) distributed more than 300 hampers that contained not festive items but essential household provisions to more than 300 employees of Industry and Commerce on 07 January at the Ministry premises in Colombo 3.
With Minister Bathiudeen were Lakshman Wasantha Perera (Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce) and Anura Siriwardena (Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce), who organized the effort. Each FMCG package of provisions is valued at upwards Rs 3500 and covers essential household items needed for a household. It provides provisions sufficient for a basic family unit to last for several days.
The packages (the โBadu Mallaโ, as the recipients promptly called it) were distributed by Minister Bathiudeen, Deputy Minister Perera and Secretary Siriwardena to staff of all ranks. Among the contents of the package were almost 20 different household consumable items.
The contents (all of which were FMCG) have not been provided at Ministryโs expense but sponsored by keen and well-meaning Lankan industrialists and their firms. Ministry employees were excited on the sudden lottery and were thankful. โThis is a great initiativeโ voiced an employee in the Ministryโs Administrative branch, who is also a father. โLast year we received a gift voucher. We start 2014 with a much better packageโ he added -with a broad smile. Bundled along with each hamper was a large 2014 wall calendar.
Leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress