Education in all forms would be his priority since the common man looked forward for development of education, Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan said.

The TMVP also pledged support to the Government from outside whenever and wherever it was required, he told The Island.

The Chief Minister also said that he had raised the matter of education during meetings with the Minister of Education Susil Premajayanth since education is most important to raise the living standard of the Eastern Province. He said that this Province is backward and neglected and to bring it on par with the rest of the country education is a necessity. Another matter that the common man urgently required was the National Identity card (NIC) and Birth, Death and Marriage certificates.

Another matter that he had raised when the Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivaard Cabraal came to the East was the necessity of an accelerated programme for developing the income of individuals through promotion of Self Employment Programmes and lack of financing for development of micro enterprises which had contributed to a drop in the living standards of families.

Eastern Provincial Minister Dr. Thurairajah Navaratnarajah is focusing attention on promoting and developing agriculture, fisheries and live stock farming, according to a survey by The Island in Batticaloa over the weekend.

"Finally taking in the natural scenery and beauty of the Eastern Province we have sought the assistance of the Deputy Minister of Tourism Faizer Mustapha to develop and promote tourism in a great way by 2010. We want to promote domestic tourism which we believe would be a money spinner for the economically starved people of the East," he said.