Jana Sabhas for all villages

Rafik Jalaldeen

RIDEEGAMA: Rural areas will be developed and a Jana Sabha will be built in each village to solve poor people's problems through the "Gama Neguma" national development programme under the "Mahinda Chintanaya", Minister of Rural Development and Livelihood Jagath Pushpakumara said.

The second stage of "Gama Neguma" for 2006 was held at the Dhodangaskanda Maha Vidyalaya on Saturday.

For the second stage 46 villages were selected for development islandwide and Dodangaskanda was the first village to launch the second stage. The first stage was held on July 27 in Ratnapura for 15 selected villages.

"I came here two months ago and discussed with all villagers and identified their problems and needs. I understood their problems in general," Minister Pushpakumara said. The source of problems is the unemployed youth. This source should be strengthened and they have to unit and work for that, he added.

"Their main problems are road, electricity, water and sanitation. We have provided Rs 1 million to develop the Dhodangaskanda road," Pushpakumara said.

"We have allocated Rs. 13 million to develop roads which reach this village and it will be executed step by step," he added.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a man who was born in a village and lived with poor people. He knows about poverty and needs of the poor people. That is why he had implemented Gama Neguma Development Project, Minister Pushpakumara said.

The electricity development project has already started in Dodangaskanda for which Rs 78 million has been allocated.

Around Rs. 300 million will be needed for the second stage of the Gama Neguma development project and financial aid will be provided by 14 ministries and some NGOs, Minister Pushpakumara said. For the second stage of Gama Neguma project Rs. 14 billion has been allocated and for the next year Rs.56 billion will be allocated, he added.

Under the "Mahinda Chintanaya" Jana Sabhas will be started all around the country. In this Jana Sabha 70 per cent will be from every family of the village and 30 per cent will be from other authorities. Therefore people can find solutions for their problems easily without walking through all the ministries, he said.

"The previous Government spent 58 per cent of industrial funds were used in Colombo but our Government will use them to develop rural and village areas," Coconut Development Minister and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Salinda Dissanayake said.

"The Ministry of Science and Technology can offer 200 industries and self-employment. We are also ready to help those who want to start any industries with soft loans, training, technology and marketing," Dissanayake said.

After the production of rice the coconut production comes next. "We will offer coconut trees to those interested in cultivating coconut. There are also cultivations which can be developed in these areas like chilli and vanilla," he added.

A villager D. Shiyanee said their main problems were electricity, road, transport, water and sanitation. The electricity and road development are on the process. I run a small business that includes coconut cultivation and chilli production."