Govt. to raise estate population's living condition

Nadira Gunatilleke

BADULLA: The Government will take over the responsibility of estate population which is nearly one million, to upgrade their living conditions considering them as full Sri Lankan citizens without an intermediary.

Presently the estate population is looked after by the plantation companies, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said. Minister De Silva was speaking at a discussion at Badulla NTS recently with the Tamil speaking teachers and principals of Badulla district.

The Minister said so far the estate population was looked after by the plantation companies with the participation of an intermediary. But the living conditions of the estate population did not improved during the past and they have become poorer.

A special development programme will be implemented to cover the entire estate sector parallel to the `Eastern Resurgence' programme under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This step will enable the estate community to deal with the Government directly and solve their problems without any intermediary.

A Cabinet memorandum has already submitted to take over 110 estate hospitals under the Central Government and appoint 200 Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and another 200 Family Health Officers from the estate sector to provide adequate Tamil speaking health staff.

Meanwhile the Education Ministry will recruit 200 Tamil speaking teachers from the estate sector to provide adequate Tamil speaking teachers for the estate sector schools and develop the schools system in the estate sector.