Gramodaya Mandalas re-launched

BY UDITHA Kumarasinghe

THE Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry yesterday re-launched the Gramodaya Mandalas and Gramodaya Societies which were in a dormant stage to revive development at village level.

The Gramodaya Mandala and the Gramodaya Trust Fund were re-launched at a ceremony at the Ministry under the patronage of Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.

The Gramodaya Mandalas were set up by the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa under the Gramodaya Mandala Act. They have been inactive over the past several years.

According to the Gramodaya Mandala Act No.20 of 1982, Gramodaya Mandalas come under the Minister of Local Government, a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday.

According to the division of Ministerial portfolios, the subject of Gramodaya Mandala has been vested in the Small and Rural Industries Ministry.

However, Minister Tennakoon who discussed this with former Small and Rural Industries Minister Lal Kantha several weeks ago, agreed to revest this subject in the Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry after extensive discussions.

A special gazette notification was issued recently vesting the Gramodaya Mandala as a subject belonging to the Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry, he said.

Tennakoon told officials the Gramodaya Mandalas introduced by the late President Premadasa were inactive over the past several years. Following President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's directions, the Ministry recommenced this program.

"I have already issued letters to educate Chief Ministers, Provincial Council Chief Secretaries and the Secretary of Public Administration Ministry to implement this program at Provincial Council level," the Minister said.