Archives

by P. D. A. S. Gunasekera, Ratnapura Group Correspondent

The country is on the path to permanent peace and the slogan for the forward march should be "This is our Motherland - Let's live in harmony". We should not allow the warmongers to sow the seeds of discord and hatred, said Smallholders Development Minister Susantha Punchinilame at Ratnapura recently.

He was addressing a group of tea development society leaders from 255 smallholders associations in the Sabaragamuwa province at the Ratnapura New Town Samurdhi Hall. The Minister said his mission was to help bring peace to the country and prosperity to the poor by developing the tea smallholders' associations in the rural sectors of the country.

A programme to bring enhanced benefits to the smallholders amounting to 56,818 owners of 70,427 acres of land in the rural sector in the district was already under way. Fertiliser subsidies of Rs. 290,000 had been paid to the smallholders. The Tea-Shakthi Fund membership had been raised to Rs. 3.6 million in a bid to provide for the security of the smallholders, he said.

Measures had already been taken by his Ministry to improve the living standards and the quality of life of the tea smallholders. Many environment protection projects such as 'clean-housing' forest rehabilitation on the borders of the smallholdings and the construction of roads in the tea smallholding areas at the expense of the ministry are some of the envisaged projects, he said.

The Minister stressed the importance of the forest conservation in the tea-growing areas by taking steps to plant trees on the lands bordering the smallholdings and protect the existing forest lands, in the catchment areas thus providing drinking water.

He also cautioned the smallholders of a possible prolonged drought in the future and called upon them to prepare themselves to prepare a contingency plan by educating the public on the matter and growing more food in their home gardens.

A blueprint has been prepared to educate the smallholders with five to fifty acre tea-gardens on methods of further improvement by providing them subsidies. The tea leaves purchasing and collecting agencies and factory owners had also been cautioned against defrauding the smallholders, at the point of payment, he said.

Provincial Manager of the TSHDA S. R. Gunawardena said that under the programme the TSHDA will provide subsidies and the know-how for developing forest lands around tea smallholdings and in areas in proximity to them. He requested the society officials to encourage smallholders to take advantage of the project for their interest and for the well-being of the country. He promised a better future for the tea smallholders.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager