Domestic economic units:

One million to be set up

All Government officials at village level have been mobilized for the establishment of one million domestic economic units around the country to enhance the capacity and income level of rural people.

This program is a concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and is implemented under the direct supervision of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

A special circular to obtain the support of Government officials for the implementation of this program is to be issued next week.

All Government officials attached to each Grama Niladhari division including Samurdhi Development Officers, Agriculture Development officers and Grama Seva Niladharis are in the process of selecting the beneficiaries.

According to President's Advisor and former IGP Chandra Fernando, each GN division gets 100 projects and 50 of them is to be implemented by the Agrarian Services Divisional officers under this program.

The rest would be implemented under the supervision of the Grama Niladhari and Samurdhi officer of each GN division.

Three committees have already been appointed to ensure the early implementation of this project under the patronage of Senior Ministers A H M Fowzie, Milroy Fernando and S B Navinna.

Government officials are being educated on this program and villagers can select the project of their choice ranging from home gardening, ornamental fish breeding, bee keeping, poultry to micro industries.

People who wish to start dairy farming on a small scale at GN level would also be encouraged.

They will receive technical assistance from Government officials.

He said the Government expects to eliminate malnutrition among rural families with the implementation of this program. Fernando said that each family can rear two or three milch cows which would help meet the milk requirement of the family. "Arrangements are already in place to sell the surplus milk production to the villagers and the dairy milk societies.

He said a mechanism would be in place to monitor the progress of this program and a booklet would be issued to each person who commences such a project.

He said Government officials including Agrarian Development officers and Agrarian Regional Development officials will inspect each project and provide the necessary guidance.

This program was implemented in the Gampaha district last year and 20 projects were implemented in each GN division under the direction of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. CP