Social and economic development under Mahinda Chinthana

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication formulated its Development Plan for the year 2008, based on the Mahinda Chinthana 10-year Plan.

The Development Plan for 2007 comprised four main components under which to implement the policy of A New Life for the Plantation Community in the Mahinda Chinthana - 10-Year Plan which is guided by the Vision of Towards a New Sri Lanka. Those components are: Social Development, Economic and Livelihood Development, Provision of Basic Community Amenities and Research.

Since the plantation community has been identified as a disadvantaged low-income community relative to other communities, the development programs of this Ministry were implemented targeting the plantation community, under the above four components.

In this context, development projects aimed at eradication of the inequities observed, relative to the other communities, in: upgrading of Day-care and Early Childhood Development Centres, building of new Day-care and Early Childhood Development Centres and repairing of such centres wheres necessary, and where they had received the least attention, were carried out.

Projects have been implemented in four such centres.

This entails provision of reading books and computers for school libraries with inadequate facilities. Three hundred and forty-two books for five libraries have been already provided, and steps have been taken to provide 20 computers.

This will be distributed in November, 2007. Projects also have been implemented to construct 5 libraries in estates without library facilities.

As passes in the subject of English at the GCE (A/level) are at a low level in the plantation schools, a program was conducted to enhance the knowledge of English and teaching methods of 200 English teachers of the plantation schools. This training was conducted in such a way as to develop these teachers as trainers. This program was conducted in the Districts of Badulla, Ratnapura and Nuwara-Eliya.

Entrepreneurship training courses were conducted for development of skills of the youth. 110 youth from the Nuwara-Eliya District were exposed to practical knowledge required for initiating into the course of self-employment training. Facilities for securing small loans also were provided to them enabling to start small scale projects.

All arrangements have been made to conduct a medical clinic targeting 500 women of 30 estates in the Agarapathana, Talawakelle and Lindula areas.

Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Cancer, Poor Eyesight, Thyroid and General Women's Diseases are expected to be treated here.

This Program is to be held in collaboration with the Dept. of Health.

The approach roads, steps and footpaths to the line rooms of the plantation community are in a decrepit state, and repairs were effected to them. This involved 92 inner estate road projects and 122 projects on approach roads to households (footsteps and footpaths).

Electricity has been provided to line rooms and Hindu Kovils. 23 projects on this activity were implemented. Action is being taken to supply 10 generators to Cultural Centres for provision of electricity.

Cultural Societies to develop cultural activities of the plantation community and preserve the traditional forms of dance and for training have been established.

Accordingly, 24 projects involving Community Halls, Cultural Centres and Hindu Kovils were implemented.

Hindu Kovils worshipped by the devoted populace at present, have been repaired. Absence of National Identity Cards is a social problem that remains unsolved among the plantation community.

In view of this, Mobile Service Programmes for issuing National Identity Cards were conducted in 50 estates in the Nuwara-Eliya District, in collaboration with the Dept. of Registration of Persons. 1000 National Identity Cards were issued to the plantation population through this programme.

Arrangements have been made to conduct a survey on the estate community who are without the National Identity Card and the Birth Certificate, in all the plantations in the Districts of Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya, by this Ministry in collaboration with the Dept. of Registration of Persons, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights and the Dept. of Commissioner of Elections.

The Survey will involve the Grama Niladharis of those Districts and will terminate in November, 2007.

"Make dhamma education compulsory"

M.A.R. Manukulasooriya, Hiriyala group corr.

If parents expect their children to be law abiding citizens, they must give them a proper religious education in Dhamma Schools.

The highest attainment in the academic field will fail if the child becomes spiritually bankrupt. Dhamma education should be made compulsory to all schoolchildren" said Ven. Rambukwelle Pannasara Thera, Chief Sanghanayake of Ihala Dolospattuwa addressing a special meeting of the Sumangala Dhamma School, Polgolla, Gokarella.

The Thera said 'Although there were many educated persons in the society, they are spiritually bankrupt.

Our moral values have been so declined that there are thousands of innocent parents in Elders' Homes.

They have been deprived of the love and affection of their children. Can we expect any service to the society or to the country from such children?"

The Thera further said that some western intellectuals at the end get frustrated after following the path of materialism and go to Buddhist countries to engage in deep meditation in an attempt to understand the real goals of life.

Buddhism could be utilised as a formidable weapon to bring solace to the globe where we find human groups engaged in bloody conflict" he added.

S.P. Weerasena, a teacher attached to the Dhamma school said that the Government had given the highest recognition to the Daham schools to guide our younger generation on most appropriate path to become worthey citizens of morrow.

Tribute to Dr. R. K. Murugesu Sidhar

A record crowd of over 5,000 devotees attended the ceremony connected with the installation of the statue of Dr. R. K. Murugesu Sidhar at the Gayathri temple at Nuwara Eliya, which coincided with the 47th day of his death at Chennai in India and his body was laid to rest in the Samadhi at the temple main hall here and thereafter for 47 days alms giving and other Hindu customs and rituals were held by holy men from India, Malaysia, South Africa and other countries, where 1008 rare herbs and water from holy rivers in India were used for such customs and rites with poojas.

The most and significant feature was that it was devoid of parochial attachments; hundreds of people belonging to the majority community and others to participate in, from all parts of the country.

Dr. Murugesu Swamijee was the founder of this temple in 1974 with his sole efforts, and had counted thousands of devotees all over the world and hundreds of admirers including leading figures within the country and abroad, among whom were prime ministers and others, visiting this temple and getting his blessings, who had tirelessly worked for peace and amity all over the world. He had also helped the poor and the deserving.

This was perhaps the first time in the history of Nuwara Eliya, where a spiritual leader was laid in Samadhi inside the temple hall and which event was witnessed by hundreds here.

It was also a most significant feature that the Gayathri temple where most of the major poojas were held on every Poya day with hundreds of people belonging to different races participating from different parts in the country.

According to the observers and organisers that it was a miracle that as to how the Swamijee found the proceeds to maintain and manage the affairs of this temple and help those in need, since he had never sought for donations or assistance for, from the devotees or the public.

By P. Rajaratnam, Nuwara Eliya

Teacher from UK to teach English

Peradeniya Special Correspondent - Victor Alahakoon

Ian Knight the Head teacher of Astley Community High School Northamberland, United Kingdom who was on a brief visit to Sri Lanka to support and work collaboratively with the Sri Lankan schools, a programme sponsored by the British Council, Visited Madagama National School Bibile, in the Monaragala District and engaged in an English Language Teaching Stint for a week recently.

The program was co-ordinated by Ven. Madagama Dhammananda Thera of the Asgiriya Temple, Project Director of success Sri Lanka Kandy Branch. Ian Knight was presented with a Memento by Rathnayake, Principal, Madagma National School on completion of the program.

Rs. 33 lakhs to renovate canals

B. M. Mukthar - Beruwala Special Corr.

The Kalutara district constantly comes under floods due to lack of proper system directing water to the sea.

The President has set up a special Ministry to attend to urgent needs of people, when the areas are inundated with floods, said Mahinda Samarasinghe the Minister of Distress Management, after inspecting of cleaning canals in Beruwala.

He said that already Rs. 33 lakhs have been allocated by the Ministry.

"Under this project, the "Beru Ela" and "Kaviyan Ela" will be renovated and thereafter the surrounding areas would not be affected by floods," he said.

He said that the President is rendering a yeoman's service to develop the country and the people should extend their co-operation.

The Ministry is rendering an excellent service to provide every person to lead a decent life in society. The government is rendering an enormous service in spite of various problems in the country.