Dullus snarls at officials' snail's pace

P P G Sugathadasa-Thihagoda group correspondent

Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry has initiated measures to decentralise all vocational training programs, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.

He said this while speaking at the monthly co-ordinating committee meeting held in Devinuwara and Dickwella Divisional secretariat offices recently.

Minister Alahapperuma severely criticised the relevant officials attached to the Agrarian Services Department for their inordinate delay in sending land and paddy land registers and other important documents required for work at the Devinuwara Divisional Secretariat office.

The prime duty and responsibility of all public servants is to render honest service to the people. Action would also be taken to computerise all information and details will be gathered at family level in Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Devinuwara and Dickwella from next year, he said. An allocation of Rs 28 million has been made to reconstruct small scale irrigation projects in the Devinuwara division under Gama Neguma program, he said.

Minister Alahapperuma said that the students of the Dickwella Divisional Secretariat area have made a better progress in educational activities than students of the majority of schools in the Matara district.

Plans are afoot to absorb all school leavers in the island to vocational training projects under the Youth Affairs Ministry.

He also instructed the officials attached to Fisheries Ministry to expedite constructions of Suduwella, Nilwella and Kottagoda harbours. Ministry of Education has planned to upgrade Munidasa Cumaratunga Vidyalaya, Radampola Maha Vidyalaya and Godauda Maha Vidyalaya in the Dickwella Education Zone as secondary schools.

Public facilities complexes of the proposed Radampola new town are to be ceremonially inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in early 2011. An allocation of Rs 100 million has also been set apart for Weurukannala sacred area development project in Dickwella by the government.

It was proposed that Diwisirigama-Hettiarachchi road and Dewisirigama-Akurubebila road in the area should be acquired by the Southern Provincial Council. The need was also pointed out for establishing a Veterinary Surgeon's Office in Dickwella. A new bus service will start from Yatiyana, via Hingurupathala junction, Hettiarachchi road and Rathmale to Dickwella town soon, PS spokesman said.

Devinuwara Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Chandanalal Suriyawansa, Divisional Secretaries at Devinuwara and Dickwella also spoke.