Bright prospects for plantation community

By P. Krishnaswamy

In the last five years, since President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office as the Head of the State, several special programs and projects were formulated and implemented by the Government for the socio-economic uplift of the impoverished plantation community. These programs were earlier implemented mainly by the Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry, under the previous Cabinet, and are presently being implemented by the Economic Development Ministry.

The far-reaching projects and programs were aimed at mainstreaming the plantation community, which remained politically isolated, and providing them with better housing, infrastructure, health, education, employment and vocational training facilities. The progress made so far under these ongoing projects and programs include 15,000 independent/twin housing units at a cost of about one billion rupees, of the total 50,000 housing units envisaged under the program; road development at a cost of Rs. 1,400 m; power supply to 150 estates at a cost of Rs. 150 m which benefited 16,000 families; water supply projects at a cost of Rs. 65 m which benefited 10,000 families; reconstruction/rehabilitation of 500 schools at a cost of Rs. 725 m; 40 healthcare projects at Rs. 30 m and 40 socio-cultural projects at Rs. 65 m.

The National Action Plan for the Social Development of the Plantation Community, costing a total of Rs. 100 billion, is the product of a collective effort by a large number of stakeholders who are committed to the well-being of Sri Lanka in general and the plantation sector in particular. The overall goal of the action plan is to contribute to poverty reduction and social and economic development of the plantation community as a priority for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals under the Mahinda Chinthana. The Action Plan is anticipated to be fully implemented in the years 2011-2015.

The Government of India has undertaken to build 140 modern medical wards to the Glencon Hospital in Dickoya for the benefit of the plantation community and also to construct 6000 houses in the two plantation districts of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. This is in addition to India's donation of 40 buses for operating transport services in remote plantation areas, especially for the benefit of schoolchildren.

The Thondaman Foundation is providing vocational training to about 1000 students every year in 15 trades. Janasakthi Centres established by the Ceylon Workers' Congress at 45 locations throughout the plantation areas are providing IT training to about 10,000 children every year with the objective of making the plantation youth employable in the State and private sectors.

Living conditions

Some of the major ongoing development projects implemented in the Nuwara Eliya district for improving the living conditions of the community and the rural population include the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project (UKHP), the Gama Neguma Jathika Saviya Program, the Gama Neguma Program and the Second Community Water Supply and Healthcare Project. All these programs were implemented under the 'Mahinda Chinthana' during the last five years.

Much headway has been made under the ongoing development programs to improve transport, roads and electricity supply. The country's longest road tunnel - 225 metres - at Ramboda on the Gampola-Nuwara Eliya highway, built at a cost of Rs. 2000 million was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in February 2008. The tunnel, which is part of the renovated and expanded road network, has helped streamline transportation between Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Colombo and beyond.

During the last four years, the Government has spent more than Rs.7.5 million to uplift agriculture and to renovate irrigation facilities in the district. During the period Rs.32 million has been spent on improving local water facilities in the district and Rs.2,934 million has been allocated for improving water facilities to townships in the district.

New teaching appointments were given to over 3000 educated plantation youth and a bulk of the beneficiaries were from the Nuwara Eliya district. Measures were initiated to improve educational facilities to children of the plantation community. State sector employment as Grama Niladharis, postal workers and communication facilitators were also given to educated youth of the community.

Estate hospitals

Over 70 estate hospitals have been taken over by the Government in an effort to improve the overall health facilities of the plantation workers and the amount spent on such projects during the last four years is Rs.225 million. For the first time 165 estate youth were trained as nurses in the College of Nursing at Batticaloa.

The 'Diriya Piyasa' housing program, the Nuwara Eliya town beautification program, the new Government Secretariat building program and other programs to provide better infrastructure and administrative facilities were also introduced during the period.

Since 2005 the Government has spent over Rs.3 billion for improving dairy farming in the district in an effort to enhance the income of dairy farmers and to make the country self-sufficient in milk and dairy products.