Rural Infrastructure Development Project already underway within 10,600 Grama Niladhari Divisions

Wednesday, 6 July 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Untitled-4 Under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and the guidance of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Government has now initiated immediate development projects to uplift the infrastructure facilities in rural areas.

In line with the program themed ‘Development to Village,’ the Government has planned to develop the infrastructure facilities in 13,305 ‘Grama Niladhari’ (GN) Divisions with an allocation of Rs. 13,300 million.

State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Niroshan Perera, while at a meeting to review the progress of performance of the Ministry, said that infrastructure development projects in 10,600 GN Divisions were already underway.

This project was based on the economic policy presented by Wickremesinghe on 5 November last year to enhance the economic productivity and livelihood of the masses through creation of livelihood opportunities.

Rural development projects will be identified through committees comprising the heads of the community-based organisations that are actively engaged in community affairs through GN divisions. The committees shall select the projects that involve physical infrastructure development such as community based water supply projects, power supply projects, rural roads, bridges, culverts, and minor irrigation projects based on the criterion that the project will bring benefits for the majority of people, improve the livelihoods of the people, and generate new job opportunities for the area.

Provision for the selected projects will be allocated by the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs and released to the respective District Secretariats once such projects are approved by the divisional and the district coordinating committees comprising public representatives. The Divisional Secretariats will play the key role in drafting estimates, inviting bids, awarding contracts, as well as supervising constructions.

The ‘Development to Village’ program will be monitored by Perera.