All Mahinda Chintana proposals off the ground

'Maga Neguma' development initiative gets into top gear:

Shirajiv Sirimane

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: All the Mahinda Chintana proposals forwarded to the people through the election manifesto of President Mahinda Rajapaksa have got off the ground.

Secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation, Dhara Wijetilleke said that 60 special liaison officers have been appointed to each ministry to monitor and report the progress of the implementation of the Chintana back to them.

"We would also co-ordinate so that some pledges would not be duplicated," he said. Addressing a meeting of these liaison officers and Ministry officers at the Central Bank yesterday she said that each person had been set a deadline until February 7 to propose an action plan to implement these proposals.

The first year was committed to a crash programme to address many urgent issues, which included the construction of new roads and repairing the old ones under the 'Maga Naguma' programme.

In addition urgent irrigation, housing and other issues too were addressed during the first year.

She said that there had been 144 inquiries for the 300 factories programme proposed by the Mahinda Chintana to eradicate poverty in rural areas while 31 agreements have been singed up to July last year.

She said that the project proposals of these entrepreneurs who would be constructing the factories have been forwarded to relevant AGA offices and land allocations have been already made.

She said that each line ministry will have to take responsibility by implementing the Mahinda Chintana programme relevant to them and the Ministry of Plan Implementation would monitor their progress and intervene if there are problems.

She said that the Mahinda Chintana website too would be upgraded.

"When this is done the public would be able to see all the details and progress that have been made on each Chintana proposal," she said.

The regular monitoring of the progress of the manifesto by the Ministry of Plan Implementation under the direction of the President, would also result in corruption being minimised and development being done at a faster phase. She said that they would also ensure that the financial allocations are fully utilised for the benefit of the people.

Deputy Minister of Plan Implementation Hussain Bhaila said this is the first time that an election manifesto had been converted into a document and given to each ministry for implementation.

He said that Mahinda Chintana is not something that could be implemented in a few months.

"It has long term development plans to lead the country to prosperity and all the proposals would be implemented in six years," he said.