Jathika Saviya - Gama Neguma aims to develop the village

POLONNARUWA: The Jathika Saviya - Gama Neguma National Development programme is aimed to develop the country by creating a prosperous village and a disciplined society with high moral and spiritual values said Presidential Senior Advisor Basil Rajapaksa when he inaugurated the programme in the Polonnaruwa district at a conference held at the Polonnaruwa White house on Saturday.

Agriculture, Irrigation, Mahaweli Development and Environment Minister Maithripala Sirisena, NCP Governor Karunaratne Divulgane and Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake also attended the conference held to educate all government officials, and Local Government Representatives in Polonnaruwa District about the programme.

Basil Rajapaksa said the Mahinda Chinthanaya was not an election manifesto but a programme formulated for the welfare of the people which included all steps required to develop the country. The National Development programme will provide quality development dividends to the people and prevent wastage of national assets by entrusting development work to the rural masses themselves.

Investigations into the failure of development programmes to take off ground despite the availability of funds they found the need of an active mechanism to facilitate this work and the Jathika Saviya will join hands with Gama Neguma to strengthen that mechanism.

Rajapaksa who stressed the need to implement these development programmes while preserving the historic value and the environment of Polonnaruwa said the opportunity has now come for village organisations to join hands and create a prosperous village in place of the miserable society that existed so far.

Through the Jathika Saviya Gama Neguma programme President Mahinda Rajapaksa had taken a giant step towards the country's development by developing individuals, families and the village in that order and the co-operation and support of all sections of society was needed to ensure its success.

A Presidential Secretariat release said that under the Jathika Saviya, Gama Neguma National Development programme steps have been taken to ensure accelerated development in 200 selected villages in the Polonnaruwa District and uplift the living conditions of the people.

The Jathika Saviya programme launched under the directions of the President to improve community life in terrorist threatened villages after the Kebithigollewa terrorist attack has achieved great progress during the last year. It was later integrated with the Gama Neguma programme and implemented countrywide to develop 14,000 Grama Niladhari divisions.