Bilingual Official Languages Policy:

Special Tamil language training for public servants

Lakshmi DE SILVA

The government in pursuing its biligual official languages policy in 29 Districts where more than 30 percent Tamil speaking people live has started training officials in the Tamil language, National Languages and Education Training Institute Director General Prasad R. Herath told the Daily News yesterday.

He said the gazette notification has informed the 29 Divisional Secretariats and special training programs for public servants of these DS areas were conducted last month and another training course will commence next Monday. This special 10 day Tamil language training course for public servants is conducted by University lecturers at the NLET, Agalawatta.

It is a residential training course with more practical and group training sessions which would improve the spoken abilities of the officers, Herath said.

He also said that there are 66 percent Tamil speaking people live in the Colombo Divisional Secretariat area while Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat had 42 percent Tamil speaking people.

The Bilingual Divisional Secretariats areas of Akurana, Deltota, Panwila, Pasbage Korale. Udapalatha, Ambagamuwa, Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya Walapane tin the Central Province. Kalpitiya, Mundalama, Puttalam and Wanathawilluwa in the North Western Province, Galle Four Gravets in the Southern Province, Beruwala, Colombo, and Thimbirigasya in the Western Province,

and Badulla Ella, Haldummulla, Haliela, Haputale, Lunugala, Meegahakivula, Passara, Soranatota and Welimada Divisional Secretariats in the Uva Province have been named as bilingual Divisional Secretariats he noted.