The Government’s island-wide rural infra-structure development programme is based on a sizeable Rs. 37.6 billion budget allocation that provides for an integrated upgrade of electorate level economic infrastructure and boosting of rural-urban market linkages. As at May 24, 2019, the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs had allocated Rs.37, 565.2 million for the Rapid Rural Development Programme (RRDP), popularly branded as the ‘Gamperaliya programme’, Ministry Secretary V. Sivagnanasothy told the ‘Daily News’.
The Gamperaliya Programme is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and, is being implemented in all 25 districts under the guidance of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said Sivagnanasothy. He said that the Ministry had approved and designated Rs.3,363.2 million for Colombo district, Rs.3,058.2 million for Kandy, Rs. 3,049.4 million for Kurunegala, Rs.2,870 million for Gampaha, Rs.2,252.1 million for Galle, Rs. 2,224.8 million for Jaffna, Rs.1,987.2 million for the Badulla, Rs. 1,937.5 Mn for Ratnapura, and Rs. 1,732.4 Mn for the Kalutara district.
The other district allocations are: Rs. 1,719.2 million for Kegalle district, Rs. 1,586.6 million for Anuradhapura, Rs. 1,531.1 million for Ampara, Rs. 1,516.4 Mn for Nuwara-Eliya,, Rs. 1,509.8 Mn for Matara, Rs. 1,122.3 Mn for Trincomalee, Rs. 1,048.8 Mn for Puttalam, Rs. 955.4 Mn for Batticaloa, Rs. 799.8 Mn for Hambantota , Rs.806.7 Mn for Matale, Rs. 698.3 Mn for Moneragala, Rs. 617.4 Mn for Polonnaruwa , Rs. 425.4 Mn for Mannar , Rs. 283.7 million Mullaitivu, Rs.268.6 million for Vavuniya and Rs. 199.6 million for the Kilinochchi district.
Sivagnanasothy said the Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, as the subject Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, enthusiastically backed Gamperaliya. “He approved, without haggling, allocations for rural development establishing links between rural and urban areas and market centres. Gamperaliya paved the way for construction of rural infrastructure - rural roads, tanks, anicuts and bridges creating connectivity, improving the education sector and agriculture in particular.”
Sivaganasothy said the Prime Minister gave special attention to water supply projects and setting up of sanitation facilities for schools, construction of playgrounds and physical culture infrastructure facilities related to education sector; establishing spiritual development for villages through rehabilitation of places of worship; establishing rural markets known as “Sathipola”; and other related infrastructure facilities, which are among the core areas of development under the programme.
“For the empowerment of rural economy every electorate has been allocated Rs. 300 Mn each capturing all the 160 Electorates in the country with a total Budget estimation of Rs.48 Billion in 2019,” he said.
He said that the Gamperaliya Programme has been launched by the Ministry under the leadership of the Premier with an aim to transform the villages as economic hubs.
It was initiated by the Ministry to shift the paradigm from urban-centric to rural-centric development, he explained.
He said the Prime Minister set apart an additional sum of Rs.3,402 Million for the most deprived Northern Province districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, and Mannar for rehabilitation of rural roads, tanks and anicuts, and rehabilitation of places of religious worship.
(Daily News)