Rural development society restructure underway

Nimal Wijesinghe, Anuradhapura additional district group correspondent

A programme to restructure rural development societies is being launched on the instructions of North Central Provincial Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs Minister K H Nandasena.

It is planned to convert the rural development society in to the main body of gaining village level economical, social and spiritual emancipation in the village itself.

Ministry secretary K B Hettiarachchi said to make this vision a reality, it is targeted to increase the number of rural development societies from 1,300 to 3,000 by the end of 2013.

He said grass root level field officers were making arrangements in the 29 DS divisions in the province to stabilise the restructuring programme.

Hettiarachchi said the programme has been initiated in Kebithigollewa, Padaviya and Medawachchiya areas which were once war battered. He said it is intended to make villagers realise that they are the real owners and also the custodians of the particular village and it has their responsibility and obligation to assist being in the forefront in the implementation of rural irrigational, road healthcare, educational and drinking water supply projects joining hands with state organisations.

"It is planned through this reorganisational programme to encourage the village community attached to village level organisations such as thrift societies, welfare societies, youth clubs, farmer organisations etc to become members of the rural development society to empower the same," Hettiarachchi said. He said at the end of restructuring of rural development societies, Rs 1 million or more would be offered to the apex rural development society among others as planned dividends.