The Sri Lankan government spent large sums of money on free education and health care for the country, but did not spend that much on research and development in the education sector, Plantation Industries Minister Ramesh Pathirana said.

While addressing the 'Food Research Presentation and Network Forum in Colombo yesterday, he said the government has not spent money on the industrial sector's development.

"The government spent nearly Rs.350 billion on defence, Rs. 300 million for education, another Rs.300 million for health, but only Rs.10 million for industrial development," he said.

Accordingly, the government spent a reasonable amount of money on health and education but failed to look at the industrial sector development in the country.