Development officers to graduate at pass parade out

A two-week training program by the Economic Development Ministry recruiting 15,596 graduates for the first batch as development officers, were assigned to Divisional Secretariats countrywide recently. Selected from 19 districts, they are being successfully trained in 16 centres. The passing out parade of the first batch will be held on 9 April.

The aim of this training course is to give them a basic knowledge of working as facilitators in implementing rural development programs to eradicate poverty by strengthening the family and the village, according to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Inspecting the training camps of Galle and Kalutara Districts, Economic Development Deputy Minister M.L.A.M. Hisbulla said that recruiting such a large number of educated young people to the public service simultaneously was not a burden on the State but a great benefit.

Therefore, it is the duty of both people’s representatives and senior state officials to utilise the services of these new recruits for economic progress, he stressed.

The Economic Development Ministry has made arrangements to hold two-week residential workshops for these graduates undergoing training as Development Officers. The 15,596 graduates, divided into three groups of 5,150 each, will be trained at 16 centres in three stages.

The first stage which commenced on 25 March will continue till 10 April and the second will start on 18 April and continue till 5 May. The third will be from 18 May to 24 May. Each workshop will have 150 trainees. Amongst the total number of trainees, 71% are women, while 29% are men.

The assistance of the armed forces have been obtained to strengthen their personalities so that they can take up challenges when they start working at village level and identify the needs of the rural population. The trainees will be given a comprehensive knowledge of the ‘Divi Neguma’ national program at these workshops. Female trainees who become pregnant or fall ill will not need to attend the training until they are back to normal.  

“The duty of the development officers would to take the lead in eradicating poverty by economically empowering the individual and thereby the family and the village in accordance with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ Manifesto,” Hisbulla concluded.