To uplift living conditions of workers;

Divineguma extended to estates

Dehiowita Special Corr

The aim of Divineguma is to uplift the living condition and income of the rural families as well as the estate workers. Steps are being taken to extend this programme to estates in the Kegalle district, Kegalle district MP and Livestock and Rural Community Development Deputy Minister H. R. Mithrapala said.

He was addressing a meeting of representatives of estate workers, medical assistants, welfare officers, family health officers and child development officers of estates at the Ruwanwella Sanasa Hall, recently.

The deputy minister said the Divineguma Programme was implemented to raise the living standards of 10,000 families and their income.

Mithrapala said country's economic development did not rest on physical resources alone. Roads, bridges, culverts and electricity should be developed along with peoples economy. It is to achieve such development that the President had introduced this system under the Mahinda Chinthana, he said.

Families should make use of their home gardens by growing vegetables and plants. This will prevent them from buying these products from markets and their money can be saved. They also can sell their produce and get an extra earning. By this a rural family can get rid of poverty. This system will be extended to estates in the district because they were the people who toil and earn foreign exchange.

He expected the estate management would support this programme. This programme will be implemented on estates co-ordinated by Plantation Human Development Board, he said.

Kegalle district Samurdhi Director G. V. Dissanayake and Deputy Minister's Co-ordinating Officer Wijeya Pathirana also participated.