Rural infrastructure drive launched

Rashomi SILVA

COLOMBO: Gami Isura, a rural infrastructure development programme, will be launched on Monday to uplift rural living standards, the Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry announced yesterday.

The programme will be initially carried out in 119 Divisional Secretariat areas considered as most poor, said Samurdhi Minister Pavithra Wanniarchchi.

"We have selected the poorest Divisional secretariats islandwide," she said.

"This is more like a pilot project," she said. The programme will be extended to the remaining Divisional secretariats depending on its success.

"Except in the Western Province, rural poverty has been rising from 1994," said Wanniarchchi. "We have to remedy this situation soon," she said, if the country is to record the highest standard of living in South Asia.

"We have given priority to eliminate rural poverty under Mahinda Chintana," she said.

"Under Gami Isura we have identified the factors that are holding back the development of the village, In most cases the villages lack very basic needs such as proper road facilities, Irrigation systems or sometimes even drinking water."

Minister said Gami Isura would give priority for improvements in such identified areas.