Ten year horizon and social development for plantation community

M. VAMADEVAN

DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK: At the time of the submission of Budget 2007, in terms of the “Mahinda Chinthana,” the Government submitted a ten year Horizon-Development Framework from 2006-2016.

The Development Forum held on January 29 and 30, 2007 in Galle, focussed its attention on this Development Framework.

Along with this document, the Government also published another document captioned “Gama Neguma - Community Empowerment Initiatives - Development Expenditure Identified by Divisional Secretariat Division 2006 - 2009”.

There were nine such documents each covering one province. The development expenditures identified therein were based on the budget. This document has practical value in the sense that it incorporate the development proposals identified in the 10 year horizon and indicate the earmarked budgetary provisions.

The objective of this paper is to indicate the reference made to the social development of the plantation community in these two documents and to discuss the importance it assumes in the context of the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

In the “Mahinda Chinthana” - President’s election manifesto, there is a section on “New life for Plantations”. This basically incorporates the main proposals contained in the three year plan (2006-2009 that was prepared by the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure and Community Development in 2005.

In terms of the directive by the Finance Ministry, this three year plan was converted into a “National Plan of Action for Social Development of the Plantation Community” in 2006.

This National Plan of Action (NPA) has been approved by the Cabinet and awaits implementation pending institutional arrangements and resource mobilisation and allocation. On this basis of the National Plan of Action a section was included in the 10 year Development Horizon as “a New Life for Plantations”.

This inclusion is in fact a milestone in the process of planning and implementation of the National Plan of Action for this disadvantaged Plantation community.

“Gama Neguma” - Community Empowerment Initiative document spells out the budgetary allocation available for a three year period covering 2007 to 2009 for the new life to plantation region.

This gives the budgetary provision for 2007 and the provision earmarked for 2008 and 2009 by sectors and the implementing agencies. The budgetary provision made for this sector in 2007 is Rs. 3,675 m.

The Budgetary provision earmarked for 2008 and 2009 are Rs. 3840 m. and Rs. 3,970 m. respectively. The total amount provided for the three year period is Rs. 11,485 m.

The ministries identified for implementation of these programmes are Estate Infrastructure, Community Development, Youth Empowerment and Regional Development.

It should be noted that except the Ministry of Regional Development, all other ministries are under the purview of two ministers and a Deputy Minister who are belonging to plantation community.

If one look at the allocation by the Ministries, Estate Infrastructure get about Rs. 7,835 mn and Youth Empowerment gets Rs. 2,300 mn while the Ministries of Community Development and Regional Development get Rs. 650 mn and 700 mn respectively.

Under the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure, programmes covered are: Health, Education, Vocational Training, Electricity, Water supply, Roads and Housing.

Since the Youth Empowerment and Community Development Ministries are created newly, the areas covered by them are not spelled out in details. Kegalle District Development has been assigned to Regional Development Ministry.

It should be noted here that for the implementation of National Plan of Action for Social Development of the Plantation Community, the required amount is around Rs. 10,000 mn per annum. In the Budget 2007 to 2009, the annual amount earmarked ranges between Rs. 3,600 mn to Rs. 4000 mn.

Thus this represent 36% to 40% of the Budgetary resources required for the implementation of the National Plan of Action.

Hence there is a need to mobilise 60% to 64% of the required amount to fill the gap from foreign assistance. If the Ministries of Estate Infrastructure and Community Development and Youth Empowerment can increase their budgetary allocation, the gap in the resource required can be narrowed down.

In the context of the implementation of NPA, it is important to refer to a favourable development that has taken place consequent to the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Two Cabinet Ministers and Six Deputy Ministers belonging to the plantation community have been accommodated in the reshuffle.

The National Plan of Action provides a basis for the Social Development of this community. The necessary political and executive power also is made available through this Cabinet reshuffle.

Since the Estate Infrastructure Ministry has obtained around two third (2/3) of the total allocation, and has been assigned the responsibility of the implementation of the National Plan of Action, this Ministry can play the coordination role very easily and effectively.

The coordination function cannot be confined only to Government agencies. It has been recognised that in the Plan formulation and implementation process, the participation of the people is vital.

In order to facilitate this participation, there are civil society organisations. Trade Union, Community Based Organisation and NGOs should be coordinated in the process of Plan Implementation.

The success of the achievement of the objective of any Plan depends mainly to what extent the beneficiaries participate in the formulation and implementation of that Plan.

The writer is former Secretary, Ministry of Estate Infrastructure and Community Development