UNDP supports 10-year national action plan for social development of plantation community
Thursday, 9 April 2015 01:26
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The Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development is tasked with the responsibility of uplifting the economic, social and living conditions of the plantation community which comprises over 260,000 families in the plantation regions of the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces.
In order to fulfill this mandate, the Ministry considered the importance of formulating a 10-year National Plan of Action for social development of the plantation community and sought the assistance of the UNDP to support the development of the 10-year National Plan of Action through its Technical Assistance Programme.
In this regard, a high-level meeting was held by Minister of Plantation Infrastructure Development P. Thigambaram with UN Resident Representative Subinay Nandi along with the participation of Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development V. Sivagnanasothy, Assistant Country Director, UNDP, R. Ganesharajah, Advisor M. Vamadeven, Director Ajith Ekanayake and other senior officials of the Ministry.
Based on the discussions, Terms of Reference (TOR) were developed and the UNDP has granted Technical Assistance to develop the National Plan of Action.
Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development Sivagnanasothy said that the major objectives of the National Plan of Action were to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in plantation community areas, especially the estate sector.
MDGs focus on reducing poverty and hunger, providing access to primary education, ensuring gender equality, empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, preventing and treating major diseases, creating environmental sustainability and improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
While most of the indicators of MDGs at the national level are on track, the indicators of the estate sector have been relatively below the national average and in some cases well off track.
Therefore, the objectives of the 10-year National Plan of Action is aimed at identifying priority development interventions to ensure the achievement of the MDGs in the estate sector to reduce the poverty levels, improve the standard of living and enable the plantation community to enjoy social and economic rights.
Sivagnanasothy revealed that the UNDP, together with the Ministry, had appointed a team of experts and consultants to formulate the National Plan of Action which will also have an important component to ensure facilitation and mobilisation of resources to implement the programs and projects that will be identified and set out in the 10-year National Plan of Action.
In identifying the National Plan of Action, a wider consultation process will be adopted with a large number of stakeholders including the Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development, the Ministry of Plantation Industries and other key Ministries, the Plantation Human Development Trust, UN agencies including the UNDP, UNICEF, UN Habitat and donors such as the World Bank, ADB, GIZ and the Estate Housing Workers Co-operative Society, the Planter’s Association, regional plantation companies, district, divisional and local authorities including workers’ unions and research institutions, academia and civil society organisations.
The National Plan of Action will focus on housing, water supply, preschools, child development centres, sports development, road construction, electricity supply, education, skill development, vocational training, health, religion, cultural and empowerment related programs and projects.
The comprehensive 10-year National Plan of Action is expected to be finalised by the end of July 2015 said Sivagnanasothy.
The National Plan of Action will be aligned closely to Government National Policies and will help to improve the wellbeing of the plantation community. The UNDP initiative will help to develop a resource mobilisation strategy and mechanism to implement the 10-year National Plan of Action.
