We will go ahead to achieve objectives - Muthu Sivalingam

by P. Krishnaswamy

CWC President and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Muthu Sivalingam is confident that as a constituent party of the ruling UPFA they could continue with the many development projects that were launched during the first tenure of the office of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the socio-economic welfare of the plantation community, including the far-reaching 10-year National Action Plan. Their party was grateful to President Rajapaksa for appointing party leader Arumugan Thondaman as the Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development and he as the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and they believed that they could address the problems and solve the grievances of their community in no lesser manner as in the past while also working for the people in the other parts of the country, Sivalingam told the Sunday Observer in an interview.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Do you believe that all development projects launched for the welfare of the community could be continued undeterred?

A: I am confident that all development projects envisaged for the plantation community in the "Mahinda Chinthana" on the concepts of a 'New Life for the Plantation Community' would be implemented, including the Rs.100 Billion 10-year Nation Action Plan for them. We have successfully implemented projects for providing clean drinking water, electricity, rehabilitation of schools with additional facilities, improvement of the standard of education, affordable and decent dwellings, better health and sanitation facilities and construction of roads. Employment opportunities were offered with the appointment of over 3000 teachers from among the plantation youths, appointment of Grama Niladharis, Postal Peons, Communication Facilitators etc. The comprehensive National Action Plan (NAP) was approved by the Cabinet in 2007, some components of the NAP are now under inmplementation and the Road Map for it has been developed by former Ministry Secretary and present UNDP Technical Assistant N.Vamadevan.

Q: With you there are two other Economic Development Deputy Ministers. Do you hope to make a collective effort with them towards the economic uplift of the plantation community?

A: First of all our Minister Basil Rajapaksa is a far-sighted up and coming political leader who is entrusted with the overall economic prosperity of the country, including the economic welfare of the plantation community. I am certain that he will extend all assistance for the continued implementation of all projects envisaged for the plantation community in the "Mahinda Chinthana". My colleagues Deputy Ministers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Laksman Abeywardena Yapa are also equally committed to the implementation of the "Mahinda Chinthana" concepts and the welfare of the rural and plantation communities. Furthermore, it is Dr.P.B.Jayasundara, presently the Secretary to Treasury and the Ministry of Finance who originally initiated the NAP and he has promised all assistance towards its implementation and the implementation of other projects.

Q: Some plantation TUs criticised the CWC for accepting Ministry portfolios that are not exclusively meant for the plantation community?

A: The CWC came under attack not only from rival TUs but also from some sections of the Tamil media for accepting Ministry portfolios that are not exclusively for the plantation community. But that is not possible in a down-sized Cabinet.

We are confident that we can achieve our objectives by the plantation workers with the Ministry portfolios that have been entrusted to us. On the other hand these are people who contributed to divisions among the plantation workers; scattering of their votes and the decline in their parliamentary representation. They did it for their own ends. The plantation people have now realised the blunder that they committed.

Q: In a scenario of much reduced parliamentary representation of the plantation community, the CWC has expressed shortcomings over the proposed electoral reform. Your comments please?

A: We took part in all meetings of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform (PSCER) headed by Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and put forward our suggestions.

The meetings were held on a number of occasions in the last over three years. We have now appointed a committee of experts, headed by former CWC parliamentarian and Minister P.P.Devaraj, to formulate proposals/recommendations on behalf of the plantation community to be submitted to the PSCER at the appropriate stage. The Government has also accepted our request on delimitation of boundaries of electorates so as to ensure proportionate representation of the plantation community.

Q: About the appointment of party leader Arumugan Thondaman as Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development?

A: This is a Ministry portfolio that will give him a an opportunity to serve a larger number of people in ordinary walks of life throughout the country who will also include the plantation community. He would be in a position to work out programs for the economic betterment of the plantation community, including employment opportunities and self-employment ventures for their unemployed youth.