1200 villages to be developed under Samurdhi Movement
 

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Government through the Samurdhi Movement will develop 1200 villages selected from 12 Divisional Secretariat divisions during this year.

The Ministry through a new concept named Social Mobilisation Methodology will implement a series of programs to improve the socio-economic conditions of low income groups in these 1200 villages which come under the purview of Pelmadulla, Thanamalwila, Beliatta, Nawalapitiya, Matale, Uhana, Hakmana, Attanagalla, Pannala, Kalpitiya, Vettikulam and Medawachchiya Divisional Secretariat divisions, Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told a media briefing yesterday.

The Social Mobilisation Mechanism introduced by the Ministry will go for a people's based program to develop these villages by changing the traditional development method entirely based on Government officials. In this development drive, the Ministry will utilise the Samurdhi Development Officers as mediators to assist the poor in these villages to rid themselves from their poverty, she said.

The Ministry through the Samurdhi Development Officers will identify the strength and skills of people in these 1200 villages and provide financial and other assistance needed for them to uplift their various industries and business ventures. "This will help to identify the people's strength in each village relating to various sectors and unite them to develop the villages through their joint participation." The Minister said: "Although various poverty alleviation programs were implemented from time to time, there is no substantial reduction of poverty in rural areas.

Having considered this urgent need, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, established a separate Ministry named Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation to eradicate poverty among poor. Annually the Government spends Rs.10 billion on Samurdhi program."

The Minister also noted that the World Bank has also granted Rs. 5100 million to implement the first phase of the Gemidiriya Community Development and Livelihood Improvement Project for a period of four years.

The first phase of the project intends to uplift the infrastructure facilities of 4000 rural villages within the next four years. The project has already commenced to develop 143 selected villages which will be completed before the end of this year.