Hill country witnessing accelerated development

Mohammed Naalir

KANDY: The hill country has witnessed accelerated development under the "Mahinda Chinthana" and the development projects are progressing satisfactorily, Programme Director of the Workers' Perception Study, Bill Dargan stated.

Several other development projects would be launched shortly to fulfil needs identified by the participants during the study.

The Deputy Programme Director ,the Plantation Community Project (PCP) stated that the hill country was divided into three regions in the study.

These are the Up Country, Low Country and Middle Country. Around 700 workers representing these areas took part in the study. We conducted the study on both working and non-working environments in three phases.

These covered attendance of the participants, departure from workplace, collecting data through discussion, analysis reporting and dissemination.

In the preliminary stage 118 male and female workers from Low Country, Middle Country and Up-Country in work environment were involved.

The study showed that the workers were happy with their occupation and female workers paid more attention to their work than male workers.

In the non-working environment everyone put forward their fundamental needs, which were chiefly housing and other issues.

The study was conducted by Rathna Jaganathan in collaboration with the World University Service of Canada (WUEC) and (PCP), focusing on various profitability aspects, worker dignity and professionalism, progressive managment, workers wages, housing, health, education and income augmentation, Jaganathan said.

Secretary to the Plantation Ministry R. Jayasingha, several other officers and stakeholders were present.