14,000 projects in the pipeline:

Gama Neguma to boost rural economy

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Upgrading rural roads

Repairing minor irrigation schemes

Promoting household industries

From ancient times, Sri Lanka was a land of village communities. Even today a majority of the population, nearly 80 percent, live in villages. Thus for the success of any development initiative there must be a mechanism to address the needs of the rural communities.

Fortunately today, we no more hear of terrorism threatening villages in Sri Lanka. Fighting with great determination and courage our valiant soldiers wiped out terrorism from this island nation paving the way for it to regain the lost beauty of a paradise. It is the rural village that makes this country a paradise.

Initially in a post conflict situation the early recovery is essential. At the very initial stages people need quick projects and then glide in to long term measures for economic and social stability. The Government took numerous steps to uplift the rural economy even during the most tedious times of the country. The best example would be the Eastern Revival. Even the Northern Spring development drive started while the battle against terrorism was on in the North. The village is the basic unit of both of these mega development programs.

Understanding the importance of the village unit, President Mahinda Rajapaksa taking over Presidency for the first time in 2005, instructed the Government to initiate a special program to uplift village communities. Thus the Gama Neguma (Village uplift) started in 2006 in par with the Mahinda Chinthana.

Revamping

The main component of the Gama Neguma included the supportive infrastructural projects which were aimed at improving mobility and accessibility at regional level.

The Gama Neguma project, today conducted under the Ministry of Economic Development has completed nearly 11,200 rural projects implemented this year. The program implemented a total of 12,500 projects at the beginning of this year.

Economic Development Ministry will be revising the present structure of the Gama Neguma project to suit the developing nature of the country. A special discussion was held recently chaired by Economic Development Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara to structure the rural development program for another three years. The District Secretaries and other local authorities are educated on the methods of implementing the Gama Neguma program in a new context.

"The ministry intends to implement another 14,000 such projects this year and at the beginning of the year our target was to complete 25,000 rural development projects under Gama Neguma, said R.A.A.K. Ranawaka, Additional Secretary for Rural Economic Development of the Economic Development Ministry. Under the directive of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa Rs. 11,000 million was allocated for rural development projects under Gama Neguma in 2010.

These projects improved the capacity of the regions to link with the mainstream of development. These have a catalytic role in boosting commercial activities in villages thus making those communities a major contributor to national economy.

Under the new vision more focus will be on projects increasing national production, minor irrigation schemes, agriculture and poultry. "We are trying to implement more seed production for vegetables and grains as we find quality seeds are less available. We want to reduce the bulk we import to cut down the production cost farmers have to incur," Ranawaka said.

The program will be implemented in association with the Ministry of Agriculture Development.

In addition to the traditional paddy cultivation, more varieties of seasonal crops with a profitable market, such as cereal grains, onions and chillies will be introduced to farmers to enhance their income generation capacities.

Community participation

"The new approach of the Gama Neguma program will strengthen the community participation in the rural development projects. This will pool all resources to be utilised in village development," Ranawaka said. Thus, a productive, transparent integrated development plan will be implemented. The key policy of the Government with regard to development is to develop all villages in the country so that they emerge as micro centres of growth in the modern context.

Gama Neguma will be the main village upliftment program focused on livelihood development and poverty reduction at the rural level. Government emphasises advancement of villages in all districts and minimising the disparities in socio, economic, infrastructure sectors in the national development. Drinking water schemes, upgrading of rural roads, health sector development, rural electrification projects and social, educational and cultural infrastructure improvements can be highlighted as the main components of the initiated and planned projects.

Our basic development unit is the grama niladhari division. The concept of setting up of Janasabha societies is unique under the Gama Neguma program. The main objective is to create a meeting place for the villagers to gather and arrive at decisions on common matters. The officers of the Janasabha act solely as facilitators. The Janasabha concept transforms the rural community to a group of development activists with ideological and comparative thinking abilities and enhance self determination by developing their abilities and skills. A sustainable development on self reliance. This empowers the village community to ensure their total commitment and contribution in the development process.

Gama Neguma concept pools all resources utilised in village development. Thus, a productive, transparent and integrated development plan is implemented.

Sri Lanka is blessed with fertile soil and a prosperous culture along with its hard working native people of the land. The potentials are there they need only a bit of support.

The development plan has identified this basic reality and focuses on utilising the existing potentials. Hence, developing the rural community and bringing back its golden era will not be confined to a dream.