Programme to promote cottage industries next month

Chaminda PERERA

Government officials are preparing to visit every household throughout the country in March to educate householders on how their environment should be made economically viable by initiating cottage industries.

Three teams of government officials led by Grama Niladharis, Agriculture Development officers, and Samurdhi development officers will discuss the issues that prevent the public from making their gardens economically viable.

According to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaska, these officials will assist them on how vegetables and other essential food crops can be grown in their environment and the householders will also be encouraged to use organic fertilizer for their crops.

Over 50,000 government officials, including those attached to the Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Resources Management, Coconut Development, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministries will participate in this project.

The relevant Divisional Secretary is to educate these officers too before they start inspecting the house hold. Speaking at a press conference at the ministry, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that these officers will provide householders an indepth knowledge on waste management, mitigation of dengue threat, and making their home garden more productive. This programme will begin on March 1 and each team will inspect 10 house holds a day.

The Economic Development Minister said that over 2.5 million domestic economic units are expected to set up under the third stage of the Divi Neguma project which will commence on April 5. He said that the government aimed to set up one million domestic economic units in the country in 2011 but it succeeded in setting up 1.4 milion domestic economic units last year which is an increase of 400,000.

“The prices of vegetables has remained low due to the successful implementation of Divi Neguma programme,” he added.