President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday instructed officials not to hinder the activities and traditional ways of life of villagers who enter forests for legitimate purposes such as tapping Kithul trees.
President Rajapaksa gave this directive during a visit to the Ravanakanda village in the Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat Division in Balangoda under the “Conversation with the Village” programme (Gama Samaga Pilisandarak).
The President was responding to villages who drew his attention the problems faced by Kithul tappers. The President gave specific instructions to the Police and Wildlife and Forest Conservation Department officials to ensure that these Kithul tappers can carry out their livelihood without any obstruction.
He also gave instructions to the officials concerned not to institute legal action in an arbitrary manner against villages who enter the lands belonging to Forest Conservation and Wildlife Departments to carry out their livelihood such as tapping Kithul and plucking tea leaves.
His visit to this remote village in the extreme corner of the Ratnapura district bordering the Nuwara Eliya district is the third such programme implemented on the instructions of the President.
The first programme was conducted in the Haldummulla Divisional Secretariat Division in the Badulla district and the second was held in the Wilgamuwa DS division in the Matale district in September and October this year.
The President embarked on this programme “Conversation with the Village” to identify the problems faced by the people in underprivileged villages by himself and provide lasting solutions for them. The issues faced by the people in this village were discussed at a meeting held at the Thorawelkanda Vidyalaya grounds.
People residing in adjoining villages such as Kattadikande, Gallenakanda and Thorawelkande turned up at the school grounds to air their grievances to the President.
The President on seeing the poor condition of the roads, gave instructions to the Highways Ministry for the development of Walegoda road from Pudukaduwa junction, Gallenkanda - Ravanakanda road, Thorawelkanda – Wathukarakanda and Egodawaleboda – Wathukarakanda roads.
He also ordered the officials to construct bridges across Ura Oya and Imo Oya enabling the tea smallholders in the area to transport their produce to the factories. “Their traditional way of living has had no impact on the environment,” the President observed.
The President also focused on the construction of a tea processing centre which is a long felt need in the area. He also instructed the people’s representatives in the area to directly intervene to minimize any unnecessary delays in transporting tea leaves.
The officials were also ordered to resolve the land issues faced by the villages at this meeting.
It was decided to launch an infrastructure development programme targeting schools in the area. Many schools in the area including Karagasthalawa Vidyalaya, Suumana Vidyalaya, Balangoda Kanaganayagam Tamil School, Waleboda Tamil School, Udagama Vidyalaya and Pinnawela Tamil School will benefit by this programme.
It was also decided to address the teacher shortage in these schools especially the shortage of Tamil medium teachers. The President also gave specific instructions to the officials concerned to recruit the Tamil medium teachers for Advanced Level classes soon.
A vocational training institute for the youth in the area will also be set up on the instructions of the President. Infrastructure facilities in several rural hospitals in the regions will also be uplifted.
The President opened a smart classroom with Internet facilities provided by Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel at the Thorawelkanda Vidyalaya.
The President also commended the efforts of Grade 09 student of Ananda Maithree Vidyalaya in Balangoda Dinurudh Fernando for inventing a machine to monitor body temperature, that could save foreign exchange by being manufactured locally.
