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| Sunday, 6 February 2005 |
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Industrial villages second phase on by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi The second phase of the one thousand industrial villages project which was implemented by the Ministry of Small and Rural Industries in October 2004, commenced last week. It is expected to register all the small and rural industrialists under the second phase of the project from February 15 to March 15. During the last three months, the first phase of the project, two hundred industrial villages out of one thousand villages, have been identified and industrial development co-operative societies were established in each of those villages. The objective of the industrial village project is to rejuvenate the traditional arts and crafts, textile and rural industries among other things. The final target of the project is to uplift the living standards of the rural folk and develop the rural-based national economy. Rural and small industrialists who played a major role in national development in the past, were given step-motherly treatment under the influence of open economic policies. Explaining the achievements gained so far by the one thousand industrial villages project, K. D. Lalkantha, Small and Rural Industries Minister said that the project was implemented three months ago at the time of national arts, crafts and rural industries slipping from the hands of rural folk. This has to be attributed to the shortsighted policies of the previous regime. The gap among the poorest of the poor, the poor and the rich has been widening, he said. "Under the said circumstances the biggest challenge was to create confidence in the one thousand industrial villages project as well as to bring them back to their traditional industries. The officers of IDB, Textile Department and the Crafts Council as well as the Minister and the Deputy minister met the small industrialists of the selected industrial villages during the last three months and briefed them about the project. Finally they have been convinced and made to organise themselves as co-operative industrial development village societies. At present they are determined to gain the objectives of the project, the theme of which is "From Brown Colour to Gold Colour". According to the Small and Rural Industries Minister under the second phase of the project, the co-operative industrial development village societies will be powered by knowledge of the entrepreneurship, management, equipment and other resources. The project has identified three main sectors of the rural and small industries namely textile, crafts and arts, and rural industries as coir, timber, clay, iron, jewellery, bamboo and food items. Those sectors will be directly assisted by the Textile Dept. which is reputed for their handloom products, Sri Lanka crafts council and Industrial development Board (IDB). |
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