The Sabaragamuwa Development programme will cover 1,148 Grama Seva Divisions in 28 Divisional Secretariat areas of the 17 Electorates of the districts.  The beneficiaries will be 1,919,478 persons of 490,066 families of the Rathnapura and Kegalla Districts.  

 According to Rathnapura Government Agent Sunil Kannangara and Kegalle Government Agent Thusitha Wanigasekara, 3,538 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 Athauda Seneviratne, John Seneviratne, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Jagath Balasuriya, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya Chief Minister Mahipala Herath, Deputy Ministers Lalith Dissanayake, H.R Mithrapala, Premalal Dissanayake, U. G. Padmasiri, Parliamentarians Kanaka Herath, Ranjith Soysa, Janaka Wakkumbura, Sani  Kodituwakku and other People’s Representatives will be supervising the development program under which Rs.2,742 million for Sabaragamu Arunalokaya, Rs. 144 million for Sanitary and other facilities for rural schools, Rs.1,874 million for Gama Neguma, Rs.25 million for wildlife and nature conservation, Rs.362 million for Divi Neguma livelihood development, and Rs. 157 million for Agrarian Development,  Rs 585 million for Local Government and Provincial councils have been allocated.

Also allocated for these purposes is Rs. 375 million under implementation of proposals by people representatives and Rs. 104 million under the Dcecntralized Budget.

In addition 48 rural bridges in the Sabaragamuwa Province 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 Sabaragamuwa Province 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.(KH)