There cannot be sustainable development in the country without the participation of its citizenry, Minister of Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella said speaking at the first meeting with media heads at the Media Centre For National Development.

The Media Centre for National Development was instituted following a consensus in cabinet that people's proactive participation in the nation's development was vital. Heads of state owned media institutions were invited for a formal dialogue on the progress and future projects.

Here, the Minister said that there was a time when houses which were being built in Kandy, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya were advertised and cut-outs of individuals were posted in Jaffna and Anurdhapura. This he said resulted in a colossal waste of public funding.

The Minister made the media heads aware that there were many development projects taking place on a rapid scale that was not publicised or known and neither were the citizens opinions inculcated in them.

The MCND was need to bridge the people's aspirations and their needs with ongoing or new development projects. Secretary to the Ministry, Nalaka Kaluwewa Director General of the Information Department and Milinda Rajapaksha, Director of the MCND were present.