Handing over ceremony of the renovated tank to the general public in the area was held on 23rd June 2014. With this initiative, the farmers will hereafter have sufficient water to do paddy cultivation without any interruption.
The project was undertaken by the Bank as a CSR initiative under the 'WewataJeewayak', tanks rebuilding programme in a bid to assist the dry zone farmers to have a continuous supply of water for their paddy fields both in the 'maha' and 'yala' seasons. In recent times the farmers could barely manage to cultivate during one season. Nearly two hundred families benefitted by the project which will supply water to over a hundred acres of paddy fields.
The ceremonial handing over of the tank was preceded by the traditional customs of boiling a pot of milk symbolizing prosperity, a 'deva pooja' invoking the blessings of the“devas” to protect the tank and chanting of 'sethpirith'.
At the official function held at the DematawaMahaVidyalaya, Managing Director of Sampath BankMr. Aravinda Perera said that the bank is conscious of its responsibilities towards the community and that the tank project was started in keeping with the bank's policy of providing a service to the farming community while giving banking solutions to the public."It was a timely need and the bank considered it as a fulfilment of a national need," he added. While thanking the engineers and bank officials for ensuring the successful completion of the project, he was also thankful to the support and cooperation given by the people.
Referring to the bank's initiative in rebuilding and expanding theschool playground of DematawaMahaVidyalaya, Assistant General Manager– Recoveries of Sampath Bank Mr. UpaliDharmasiri said that it was done with the clay collected while constructing the tank. Apart from that a photocopy machine, exercise books and sports equipments were donated to the school. Ten selected students received minor savings accounts.Mammoties were also gifted to the farmers of the village.
In his vote of thanks, Principalof DematawaMahaVidyalaya, Mr. NimalUshetti said that they were well aware of Sampath Bank's mindfulness of the people's needs and expressed his gratitude on the completion of the renovation of Dematawa tank and the playground of the school. "If not for the bank's effort, farmers would not have been able to cultivate their fields during the 'yala' season due to lack of water. You have fulfilled that need. The villagers are so thankful to the bank," he added.
Mr.SamanHerath (Senior DGM- Operation & Branch Credit), Mr.Tharaka Ranwala (DGM –Marketing & Business Development), Mr.ArunaJayasekera (DGM-Human Resources), Mr. C. S. Lenora (Manager – Sampath Bank Hettipola Branch),Sampath Bank officers, project engineers, project manager,GramaNiladhari and members of the cultivation committee were among those present.
