Jana Pubudu targets achieved

THE Jana Pubudu program initiated under a concept of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga last October has achieved 70 of its targets within the first seven months of its implementation with the completion of 20,737 projects out of 30,000 targeted projects.

This was revealed on Wednesday at a meeting held under the patronage of President Kumaratunga to review the progress of the Jana Pubudu, Gam Pubudu, and Gemi Diriya programs implemented under the Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry.

The Jana Pubudu program aims to uplift small sector entrepreneurs confined to small projects based on small loans to medium sector entrepreneurs. The program covers agriculture, marketing, industries, animal husbandry, fisheries and service sectors.

President Kumaratunga at this meeting directed Samurdhi Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and officials to focus and give more emphasis on projects which enables at least three members of a family to become income generators. A target of 100,000 Projects are to be completed within 2005 under the Jana Pubudu program.

President Kumaratunga also instructed the Samurdhi Minister to hand over the projects being implemented in remote parts of the country, to the Ministers and MPs representing the area to handle those projects.

The Gam Pubuduwa program which aims at developing rural infrastructure such as drinking water projects, rural roads and bridges also expects to complete 13,292 projects within this year for the benefit of nearly 1.5 million families in 314 Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

Under the Gam Pubuduwa program 12,234 projects were completed in 2004.

The Samurdhi Housing Development program also expects to release Rs. 50,000 for a family whose breadwinner has died. The Ministry has already taken step to release this amount to 2030 families in 290 Divisional Secretariat Divisions from August.

The Ministry has also implemented 143 development projects under the Gemi Diriya program being implemented in Uva, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces.

The beneficiaries of these projects directly contribute to these projects. Rural Development Fund, which comes under the Gemi Diriya program, contributes 45 per cent each for infrastructure development and to improve income level of the families while allocating 10 per cent for institutional activities.

Deputy Ministers of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Rohana Dissanayake and Jagath Pushpakumara, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara and Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry Secretary K.K. Kumarasiri also participated.