Online edition of Sunday Observer - Business: "by M. P. Muttiah
An action program streamlining the activities of the Ministry of Estate Housing, is to be implemented shortly. The move aims to transform estates into villages with a view to bringing the plantation community to the mainstream of national life.
Muththu Sivalingam, Minister of Estate Housing, Infrastructure and Community Development commenting of the action programme said that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had acceded to the request of late CWC leader S. Thondaman and established this Ministry in 1997, to make the plantation community equal partners in the economic prosperity of the country.
At the beginning, the Ministry had had no programme and the focus had been to satisfy the immediate needs of the plantation community. After the takeover of estates by Janata Estate Development Board (JEDB), infrastructure, such as line-rooms, hospitals, roads and electrification had been neglected.
Last year all development work of the plantation community was brought under one Ministry effectively placing the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), which had been responsible for social development, health and housing, since its establishment 10 years ago, under the Ministry of Estate Housing, Infrastructure and Community Development. 'Since all aspects of socio-economic, cultural development are now under a single ministry, it expedites the needs of the plantation community', said Sivalingam. " Read More
An action program streamlining the activities of the Ministry of Estate Housing, is to be implemented shortly. The move aims to transform estates into villages with a view to bringing the plantation community to the mainstream of national life.
Muththu Sivalingam, Minister of Estate Housing, Infrastructure and Community Development commenting of the action programme said that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had acceded to the request of late CWC leader S. Thondaman and established this Ministry in 1997, to make the plantation community equal partners in the economic prosperity of the country.
At the beginning, the Ministry had had no programme and the focus had been to satisfy the immediate needs of the plantation community. After the takeover of estates by Janata Estate Development Board (JEDB), infrastructure, such as line-rooms, hospitals, roads and electrification had been neglected.
Last year all development work of the plantation community was brought under one Ministry effectively placing the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), which had been responsible for social development, health and housing, since its establishment 10 years ago, under the Ministry of Estate Housing, Infrastructure and Community Development. 'Since all aspects of socio-economic, cultural development are now under a single ministry, it expedites the needs of the plantation community', said Sivalingam. " Read More
