The Gramashakthi People’s Movement, a prominent project which is conducted by the President’s office under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena held its eastern province meeting with the participation of the public officers and public representatives of the province at the Divisional Secretariat of Manumunai, North, Batticaloa.
The meeting was chaired by the Governor of North Central Province Sarath Ekanayake. The governor of eastern province M.L.A.M Hisbullah and a number of public representatives of the province and district sectraries of Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee and chiefs of security forces were present in this discussion.
An overall review was made on how the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement was conducted in the eastern province and its progress and future plans. The infrastructure financial support provided to the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement societies in Batticaloa in 2018 is Rs.42 million and the Rs 66 million for Ampara district and Rs.33 million was provided for Trincomalee district. Of the 5,26,567 people on Batticaloa area, 11.3% are poverty stricken and 2.6% people living in Ampara districta and 10% of 3,79,541 people in Trincomalee are suffering from poverty. In order to uplift their livelihood the Gramashakthi People’s Movement carries certain projects where the progress and the issues that were arisen in those projects were discussed at length.
Thus private organizations and the societies of the eastern province Gramashakthi People’s Movement have signed agreements. The Nayanathiew Grama shakthi society and Tompo Lanka PVT Limited signed an agreement related to the export of sea weeds. The Pokkarappu Grama shakthi People’s Movement and the Heyleys Limited signed an agreement on buying Murunga leaves.
Meanwhile the Gramashakthi People’s Movement conducted programmes centering the Sathrurkondan production village in Manmunai divisional secretariat of Batticaloa. There was a lengthy observation over how the movement which uplift the livelihoods of the village which has 461 people residing is being carried out and steps were taken to solve the issues that had arisen while this project was carried out.
The activities included the istribution of 20 hand machines worth Rs.50,000 each for the women engaged in sewing, equipments of fishery for those who are in the fishing industry, and distributing equipments to uplift the livelihoods of people and distributing wheelchairs for those who are disabled.
The number of villages covered under Gramashakthi People’s Movement is 1000. Out of them 700 are public oriented villages and 300 are production and services oriented villages. President Sirisena has instructed that these villages be increased to 4000 by 2020.