A comprehensive action plan for Uva province:

On the road to development

The policy statement of Uva Province Governor C. Nanda Mathew at the First Session of the Fifth Provincial Council of Uva Province.

The first part appeared yesterday

Infrastructure development should be accelerated in the province. File photo

There is a possibility to bestow a physically and mentally healthy generation to the country by assuring a high quality service that would result from a health sector armed in physical and human resources. Several problems related to the health sector have been solved by now. In general, matters regarding primary healthcare are still prevalent.

We should take immediate action to reduce further spread of diseases in the province. When comparing with other provinces, the diseases related to alcohol and narcotics are at a considerable level in the province. Spread of diseases like diarrhoea and infectious hepatitis that are related to unsafe food and polluted water, is above the national average within the province. Many water -borne diseases have spread specially in Moneragala due to lack of safe drinking water.

Safe drinking water

Therefore, steps have to be taken immediately to provide safe drinking water to the people in the province. Plans should be made to improve the health condition of people in the estate sector by acquiring the two remaining hospitals by the Government. I would like to remind that a gathering of disabled persons was held in Moneragala by the President for the first time and special program for such groups must be organized at provincial level.

It has been discovered that there is an increase in the number of mentally retarded persons in the Moneragala district. Therefore, attention of the authorities should be channelled towards finding solutions to this problem by studying the facts related to this matter with the Government’s support.

Since, there is a rapid spread of rabies in the Province, I emphasize the need for a provincial policy to suppress this. A policy with regard to the procedure to be followed should be prepared when doing the constructions in the health sector such as operating theatres. incinerators and Intensive Care Units that need specialization. Generally, all the constructions done in the province must be categorized as small, medium and large scale and a policy should be made regarding the procedure that must be followed at each occasion.

We can be happy about the quality of the programs and the medical services conducted by the Indigenous Medicine Department, targeting the public healthcare in the province. Improving the state of the Pancha Karma medical service, which the local and foreign tourists prefer, and conducting various programs through Ayurvedic doctors jointly with the Health Department and thereby offering a blend of Western and Ayurvedic medical service is very important. I emphasize the need for a program to further develop the local medical service, since the province is full of valuable medicinal plants.

Electricity supply

Attention of this Council would be channelled towards the importance of providing electricity to each household. The national grid can supply electricity to only 85 percent of the provincial population. Supplying electricity to the rest should be done with the help of renewable energy sources such as mini hydro electric power stations, solar power, wind mill and by using fuel wood. Majority villagers in the province face many difficulties due to unavailability of electricity. Therefore, preference should be given in supplying electricity from the national grid. Renewable energy should be used to supply electricity to the rest.

However, it must be mentioned that it is not economical to use alternative energy for institutions like hospitals in places to which electricity can be supplied from the national grid.

I propose that Tamil medium teachers should be taught English so that they can teach English to the children of estate schools. Programs must be organized to wipe out the gap between the ‘village’ and the ‘estate’.

It is well-known that improving the condition of roads directly effects the development of the country. The main reason for regression of the Uva Province during the past few decades is the poor condition of its road network.

Road development

The whole road network including the main roads and access roads are being developed under the themes of Gama Neguma and Maga Neguma in order to minimize the distance between village and town. If the roads under the Provincial Council were not developed in parallel to this program, the expected results would not be gained. Therefore, I emphasize the need for a master plan to develop C, D and E class road networks and the rural roads within the province.

It is more beneficial to unite the public and private transport services to improve the quality of the transport facilities. A policy is needed to strengthen the already built unity between public and private transport services and maintain it as a people- friendly service. Further, I stress the necessity for a specially planned agenda to minimize the difficulties faced by people when using the public transport and further improve the facilities of the bus halts. Specially, we should consider the possibility of building bus halts all over the province, according to the architectural design unique to Uva.

We can develop the province by protecting environmental resources and using them optimally. The President emphasized to the Ministers and Members of the Provincial Council of the party in power. Uva Province is rich of environmental resources. It is our duty to conserve them for the future generation. I highlight the importance of a sustainable development strategy for this end and a Provincial Environmental Authority must be established.

Further, ways of firmly using dolomite, pyrites and other mineral resources for regional development should be considered immediately.

Tourism industry

A new approach is needed for the advancement of the tourism industry. The intensity of enchanting sceneries and historically significant places is one of the special features of the province that would lead to the advancement of the tourist industry. By improving the tourism industry the income within the province would be increased and employment would emerge as well. If this is to happen, infrastructure facilities should be developed to enable the tourists to reach the aforesaid places. The year 2010 should be declared as ‘The Year of Promoting Tourist Affairs’ and programs should be carried out to improve both well-known and lesser-known tourist locations, in such a way that would attract tourists.

A long term vision

I would like to highlight the importance of heightening our dedication towards the service of the Local Government. The Local Government in the Uva Province exhibits sluggishness in functioning.

Therefore, a lapse in providing public infrastructure to people at regional level could be seen in the past. We should take action to avoid this situation and I stress that all the local government bodies must do solid waste management according to a proper plan. Further, I emphasize that the local government bodies should be reorganized as institutions that provides an efficient service to the public.

A plan with a long term vision is essential to make the young generation of Uva Province healthy and strong, improve their inborn talents and earn reputation to the province through sports. We should accelerate the process of making the young aware of the contribution they could make in developing the province.

Plans should be made to take maximum advantage from the abilities of the youth by improving their talents and make them a significant segment in economic development. A few decades before, football, hockey and rugby were popular in this province and I recommend that we should pay attention to train children on these sports.

Protecting soldiers

It is my duty to mention our dedication on the welfare of the disabled including soldiers. It is not a secret that hundreds of thousands of sons and daughters of Uva Wellassa have risked their lives for the unity of Sri Lanka. Some of them sacrificed their valuable lives for their Motherland and some were disabled. There are many programs focusing them at national level. We should prepare a program at the provincial level to protect soldiers and their family members and assure their welfare. Further, action should be taken to provide access facilities needed for the disabled persons to visit all the Government and private sector institutions to get various things done and provide an efficient service to them.

I recommend the promotion of inland fisheries using perennial and seasonal reservoirs and it is a good source of protein for people in the remote areas, who are suffering from protein deficiency.

The background should be set to go for a value added process with regard to timber by maintaining sustainable utility, while conserving forests. Further, carpentry schools should be renovated to suit the present needs. A program should be carried out to improve handloom industry, light engineering, cane, clay and coir industry.

Cooperative shops have always been used to distribute food stuffs among people at village level, at times of sudden disasters. I highlight the need for a modernized cooperative shop for each town and village according to the program known as Mahinda Chinthanaya, to sell goods at a reasonable price.

A program must be carried out to improve the infrastructure facilities needed for the well-being of the indigenous people to make the interest more meaningful that the President has with regard to them.