Boost for Badulla

The Government has decided to allocate Rs.567 million for 567 Grama Niladhari divisions in the Badulla District for accelerated development under the One-Task-for One-village program and Rs. 340 million for infrastructure development through the Economic Development Ministry.

For developing nine villages in the district as towns Rs. 450 million will be allocated under the Pura Neguma program through the local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry

Accordingly, 874000 people in 1991 villages coming under 567 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Badulla District’s 15 Divisional Secretarial areas will benefit from these accelerated development programs.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa announced this at a meeting held at the Badulla Divisional Secretariat Office in connection with the One-Task for-One-Village program of Gama Neguma 2012. Badulla Divisional Secretary Rohana Dissanayake coordinated this meeting with the participation of MPs, Provincial Councilors, Municipal and Urban Councilors and Pradeshiya Sabha members of Mahiyangana, Viyaluwa, Badulla, Haliela, Passara, Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Bandarawela and Haputale electorates.  Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie and Provincial Council A.L.M. Athaulla attended the event.

Accordingly, development work at a cost of Rs.567 million allocating Rs.1 million for each of the 567 Grama Niladhari Divisions of the district was approved, giving priority to proposals made by the district’s 16 municipal and urban councils, pradeshiya sabhas and jana sabhas.

Minister Rajapaksa said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has allocated these funds from the 2012 budget to the Economic Development Ministry for developing all villages in the country through the One-Task-for-One-Village program under Gama Neguma in accordance with Mahinda Chinthana Vision.

The Governmentwill be spending a total of Rs. 450 million for developing nine villages belonging to the Ridimaliyedda, Meegahakiwula, Kandeketiya, Haldummulla, Uva Paranagama, Bandarawela, Lunugala, Haputale and Badulla Local Governmentbodies as towns by the Local Governmentand Provincial Council Ministry. Under this program each village will get a main bus stand, building for weekly fairs, public playground, library, Pradeshiya Sabha building, public toilets, pavements, public cemetery and a drainage network among other facilities.



Under the Economic Development Ministry’s Yali Pibidemu program Rs.340 million has been allocated for the development of the Badulla District said Minister Rajapaksa. The amount allocated for infrastructure development in each electorate will be Rs. 34 million for Mahiyangana, Rs. 35 million for Viyaluwa, Rs. 40 million for Badulla,Rs. 68 million for Haliela, Rs. 39 million for Passara, Rs. 28 million for Welimada, Rs.31 million for Bandarawela and Rs.50 million for Haputale.  These development projects will benefit 233,902 people in rural, urban and plantation areas.

The number of Samurdhi beneficiaries in the district is 63268, which is 27 per cent of the district’s total population. The number of poverty-stricken people in the district is 207138.

Governor Nanda Mathew and Ministers A.H.M. Fowzie, A.L.M. Athaulla, Nimal Siripala de Silva,  Lakshman Seneviratne and Dilan Perera and MPs Uditha Lokubandara, Thenuka Vidanagamage and Chamika Buddhadasa and Provincial Council Ministers Sendil Thondaman and A.M.Budhhadasa other political representatives, District Secretary Rohana Dissanayake and other Governmentofficials participated in the event.