The Badulla District programme will cover 567 Grama Seva Divisions in 15 Dvisional Secretariat areas of the Badulla, Haputale, Bandarawela, Uva- Paranagama, Welimada, Mahiyanganaya, Passara, Haliela, Viyaluwa Electorates of the district. The beneficiaries will be 811,758 persons of 239,463 families of the Badulla District. The number of Divi Neguma beneficiaries is 59,273.

According to Badulla District Secretary Rohana Disanayaka, 1,991 villages will benefit from this programme which is being launched under the direction of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's advice.

Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dilan Perera, Laksman Senevirathna, Former Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksha, Parliamentarians Chamika Buddhadasa, Udith Lokubandara, Rohana Pushpakumara, Thenuka Vidanagamage and other People’s Representatives will be supervising the development program under which Rs.824 million for Pubudumu Wellasa, Rs. 54 million for Sanitary and other facilities for rural schools, Rs.840 million for Gama Neguma, Rs.70 million for wildlife and nature conservation, Rs.180 million for Divi Neguma livelihood development, and Rs.139 million for Agrarian Development, Rs 270 million for Local Government and Provincial councils have been allocated.

Also allocated for these purposes is Rs. 175 million under implementation of proposals by people representatives and Rs. 40 million under the Dcecntralized Budget.

In addition 10 rural bridges in the Badulla District have already been completed under the island-wide programme to build 210 rural bridges under the Economic Development Ministry’s Direction. Work on a additional number bridges in the Badulla district is scheduled to begin in the district under the programme to build a 1,000 bridges before the 2014, as proposed under this year’s Budget. (MED/KH)