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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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New
divisional secretariats - a compelling need
by M. P. Muttiah Open University's Social Studies Department Senior Lecturer Dr.A.S. Chandrabose told the Sunday Observer that new Divisional Secretariats are a compelling need for the plantation areas to improve the quality of life of the people. Chandrabose said that the criteria for the establishment of Divisional Secretariats were based on the requests made by the community leaders. Several proposals were made to the relevant authorities since 1990s on the establishment of more divisional secretariats in the plantations did not bear fruit. "The average population of the divisional secretariat is around 40,000 consisting of about 40 Grama Niladhari divisions in the country. However, the Lunugala DS in Badulla District consists the lowest population of 12,450. But the DS division in Nuwara-Eliya is the most populated, with 206,944 according to the census of 2001. Amabegamuwa DS in the Nuwara Eliya District is 202,432. It is argued that the majority of the people in these two divisional secretariats belonged to the estates and their requirements are limited. The estate population have voting rights and elect their representatives to the Parliament, Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. Therefore, the services of the divisional secretariats should equally reach out to the estate workers as well. The obligation of housing should be linked to the DS divisions. A considerable number of estate youth are motivated to find self-help jobs in the vicinity of the estates. These could be achieved only through the establishment of DS divisions," he said. Dr. Chandrabose further said that a person from Bogawantalawa had to travel to Ginigathena to obtain copies of birth or death certificates. Thus losing a day's labour. The poverty alleviation program had not reached to the plantation community. According to a recent survey 30 percent of the estate workers are living under the poverty line. This is above the national average of 23 per cent. Therefore, to implement poverty alleviation program in the estate sector, DS mechanism is very important. This would also greatly enhance the integration of the estate population with the rest of the community, he said. Chandrabose said the Panambalana Committee submitted a report in 1996, which suggested to establish DS divisions in Colombo, Kalutara, Hambantota, Batticaloa, Ampara and Badulla, but had failed to make any proposal to open divisional secretariats in the Nuwara Eliya District. Dr. Chandrabose suggests that DS divisions should be opened in Ambegamuwa,
Hanguranketha, Kotmala, Nuwara Eliya, Walapone, Hatton, Norwood, Talawakelle,
Nanu Oya and Ragala in the Nuwara Eliya district. |
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