Sections of society in Udarata disadvantaged, under-privileged under colonial rule - Prof. Buddhadasa Hewavitharana

Victor Alahakoon - Peradeniya special correspondent

Professor Buddhadasa Hewavitharana Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Peradeniya, the former Chairman of the Planning Council of the Central Province in 1994 and now the Chairman of the Udarata Development Planning Committee initiated by the Ministry of Udarata Development addressing the media on his vision and strategies for Udarata Development at the Ministry of Udarata Development, Kandy recently said, "Udarata has been defined in several different ways, but the Udarata which is being planned to be developed is constituted of the 3 districts of Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Kandy is a sub-national entity which is conceptualised in terms of certain distinctive characteristics that are unique to it."

These distinctive characteristics of Udarata relate to the political history, Buddha sasana affairs, Cultural heritage, geography, agro-ecological and climatic diversity, natural resources endowment and the presence of a large number of research education, extension and training institutions.

These distinctive characteristics, he said give Udarata a comparative advantage over other regions from a development point of view. What needs to be done he said is to exploit the potential of these advantages for the social and economic development of the region by implementing appropriate strategies.

The Conceptual Framework for the Development of the Udarata as prepared by Professor Hewavitharana consists of a number of strategies, to make use of these comparative advantages for achieving higher growth and development.

More importantly he said an overarching strategy has been designed to correct a situation inherited from its colonial history under which sections of society have been rendered disadvantaged and underprivileged.

They have no access to the development resources and services needed for them to improve their economic conditions nor are these being adequately delivered to them. Thus the plan includes a number of strategies and sub-strategies to solve this access-delivery problem and to enable the disadvantaged sections to participate in the main development process.

Speaking about the Madhyama Lanka Development Plan, a plan which Professor Hewavitharana prepared as the Chairman of the Planning Council of the Central Province, said that although both cover the same three districts there is a great difference between the earlier plan which was a multi-sectoral plan and the present plan which is a strategy based one. He said that he and his team are now formulating the projects to implement these strategies.

Professor Hewavitharana is one of the foremost development economists in the country and a founder member of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Policy Studies, the economic think-tank of Sri Lanka. His involvement in regional development planning goes back to the time he was the chairman of the Planning Committee of the NWP Provincial Council to produce the 'Wayamba 2000' perspective plan.