Agrarian Councils of Inquiry revived after 14 years

Thursday, 6 November 2014 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A large sum has been allocated under the last budget for the development of Agrarian Service Centers to make them guardians of the farming community and achieve sustainable development goals, according to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa The Economic Development Minister said this at the function held at the Ministry office yesterday in connection with awarding letters of appointment to officers recruited as members of the Agrarian Development Department’s Agrarian Councils of Inquiry.

Countrywide there are 557 Agrarian Development Centres of the department which was established in October 1957. The Councils of Inquiry have been established in 25 districts under Section 39(1) of No.46 of the Agrarian Development Act of 2000 amended by Section 46 of the Agrarian Development (Revised) Act of 2011. The tasks of the Agrarian Development Department include strengthening farms, managing agricultural lands, re-cultivating abandoned paddy lands, repairing small irrigation channels, improving the economy of the farming community and other objectives relevant to the Agrarian Services Act activated under Agrarian Service Centers. Currently the Department’s employees number nearly 12,000. Speaking further the Minister said that since the department covers a large area the Government’s aim is to make Agrarian Service Centers institutions that will meet agricultural needs of farmers island-wide Special Projects Minister and Economic Development Deputy Minister SM Chandrasena and Agrarian Services Commissioner Sunil Weerasinghe also spoke at the event. Among the others who attended were Economic Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka, Additional Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne.