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| Saturday, 11 September 2004 |
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| Plantation sector development will continue - Minister Ratnayake by P. Krishnaswamy Community Development and Estate Infrastructure Minister C.B. Ratnayake said that the development programs undertaken during his short tenure as Minister for the welfare of the plantation community would be continued undeterred. He also said that the initial recruitment of 3000 plantation youth for the government sector will begin next week. Development programs for the plantation workers, including jobs to educated plantation youth, housing projects, educational development and health care were initiated by the UPFA Government on the concepts of 'Praja Shakthi', 'Praja Suwasetha' and 'Praja Nenasa', under the direction of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and will not be abandoned. The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) which has extended its support to the UPFA Government will continue to implement these programs when it takes over the Ministry, the Minister said. The Minister appreciated the CWC's move in extending support to the UPFA which did not have a clear majority in Parliament although it won the elections, he said. He would extend every support to the CWC and would ensure that the development programs undertaken for the benefit of the plantation people were implemented unimpeded. Due to sceptical views expressed by certain sections of the press and plantation TUs over the Ministry's announcement on offer of jobs to the plantation youth, many eligible candidates had delayed sending their applications. Unfortunately all late applications had to be rejected, the Minister said. Explaining the progress so far made towards providing employment opportunities to the plantation youth and providing other facilities to the plantation community, the Minister said: "The Ministry received a total 8,000 applications for jobs in the state sector in response to its advertisements in the press. All candidates were interviewed and 4,000 have been shortlisted. Their list has been forwarded to the President. At the initial phase 3,000 candidates will be absorbed to fill vacancies of teachers in schools in plantation areas and in hospitals and other State sectors." "Dr. P. Ramanujam, Secretary to the Ministry, was entrusted with the task of screening eligible candidates for jobs, five months ago. The Ministry has also now come to know that about 1,000 vacancies are prevailing in the estate sector institutions. Steps will be taken to fill these vacancies too. "A US$ 5 million SIDA project has been started for promoting the educational standards of the plantation children. A project for constructing 12,500 houses with Japanese assistance is already under way. Steps have also been taken for improving medical facilities, construction of roads and extension of electricity facility. "Under the program of improving postal services to the plantation people, several agency post offices have already been opened in estates in the Nuwara Eliya district and 14 postmen from among the plantation youth have already been recruited for house by house delivery of letters. Ministry Secretary Dr. Ramanujam has made arrangements to import from India five special buses with equipment for conducting mobile medical services in the plantation areas. A cabinet paper on housing projects for the plantation workers for solving their housing problems is to be submitted shortly." |
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