Merging institutes related to rural development:
New department in the offing
by Dhaneshi YATAWARA
A new department is to be set up under the Economic Development
Ministry, combining the institutes related to rural development,
Ministry sources said. This was revealed by Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B.
Jayasundara at a meeting held recently with the officers of the Samurdhi
Authority and Agriculture Research Assistants.
The Ministry is in the process of preparing Cabinet paper, drafts and
legal documentation in this regard.
As the initial step, the Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority and the
Department of Samurdhi Commissioner General will be merged. The Ministry
has taken the policy decision and the Treasury, National Salaries and
Cadres Commission, Ministry of Public Administration and the Department
of Management Services have extended their agreement to establish the
new department.
Merging of institutes related to rural development was a suggestion
made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Budget proposals.
According to the new structure, employees of the Samurdhi Authority
will be entitled to the Government's pension scheme. They will be
facilitated with all the benefits of Government officers.
The Ministry stresses that the employees will not be forced to enter
in to the new system.
A volunteer retirement scheme will be launched for the officers who
are not willing to work under the new merger.
A new payment structure will be established depending on the present
Government salary structure.
According to Ministry sources, the Samurdhi Bank network will also
come under the new department. The Ministry suggests that the banking
system going beyond the micro-economic frame should expand to livelihood
development, insurance and assist in family health and technical skills
development in the communities.
Under the proposed combined effort, Ministerial sources emphasised
the need for new rules and regulations to provide a high-level service
to uplift the living standards of low income families.
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