President shows way to escape dependency trap in East

President Maithripala Sirisena chaired the Eastern Province Action Committee meeting of the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement at the Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat, yesterday (8).

Grama Shakthi People’s Movement is a programme of work implemented in accordance with a concept of President Maithripala Sirisena to show the people how to escape the trap of dependency and to achieve self-sufficiency in partnership with the private sector. This project is successfully operating at Divisional Secretariat level targeting the underprivileged in society.

In the year 2018, Grama Shakthi societies in the Batticaloa District have been allocated Rs. 42 million while Rs. 66 million and Rs 33 million had been allocated for the Ampara and Trincomalee districts respectively.

Out of the 526,567 people in the Batticaloa district, 11.3% live under the poverty line, while out of the 649,402 people in the Ampara district 2.6% live in abject poverty. Those living under the poverty line out of a population of 379,541 was 10% in the Trincomalee district, it was revealed.

At present a number of projects have been implemented by the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement to develop the livelihoods of these people, which will be widely discussed at the tomorrow’s meeting under the patronage of the President.

The provincial authorities as well as government officials will be participating in this meeting where issues faced by the people of the area will be discussed and solutions found.

Several private sector organizations and Grama Shakthi People’s Movement Societies entered into two agreements at yesterday’s meeting dealing with exporting sea plants and Murunga leaves.

Through the Gramashakthi People’s Movement 1000 villages have actively started projects with 700 being publicly handled villages with the rest being production and service oriented villages. President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the authorities to uplift the number of villages benefiting from the programme to 4000 by 2020.

In the year 2018, Grama Shakthi societies in the Batticaloa District have been allocated Rs. 42 million while Rs. 66 million and Rs 33 million had been allocated for the Ampara and Trincomalee districts respectively