Major estate sector housing project under 10-year NPA 

By Sara Pathirana-May 7, 2015

A pilot project to build 300 houses has been earmarked for implementation as an initial exercise to build 160,000 houses for estate workers and their families.

A number of criteria have been identified to see this through. Houses in areas that are prone to landslides and those that have poor electricity facilities are among those that were selected under the project to set-up new houses. The project is to be carried out in estates in Badulla, Ratnapura and Kegalle, to name a few areas. This operation will be part of the recently launched 10 year National Plan of Action 2015-2025 (NPA).

The Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development had decided to bring back into operation this this scheme for the betterment of workers’ lives in the estate sector. The NPA will seek to promote the progress of the plantation community.

Given the national importance of this project, a workshop organized by the Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development was conducted recently in order to regulate the NPA, under the guidance of Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Policy Planning, Economic Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva, Plantation Infrastructure Development Minister Palani Dhigambaram and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Subinay Nandy.

Commenting on this initiative and the concept behind it Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development Coordinating Secretary to the Minister M. Thilakarajah said, "Statistical indicators have always pointed out the estate area as a deprived segment when compared to the other stated indicators of urban and rural areas. In 2005 when this concept was in existence, the main plan was to gain momentum and boost the estate sector though this initiative had to end up facing annihilation. By the year 2010, the regime at the time had abolished it. After the new government took office, the new Minister of Plantation Infrastructure Development wanted to go through with this concept.

"The key objective of the NPA is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the plantation areas, especially in the estate sector. The comprehensive 10-year NPA is expected to be finalized by end of July this year. The NPA will emphasize reducing poverty and hunger, providing access to primary, secondary and tertiary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating major diseases, issues of gender equality, the empowerment of women, environmental sustainability, improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation and improving social conditions of the plantation community.

‘The plantation sector in Sri Lanka is a very important segment when it comes to economic contribution, accounting for 22% of the country’s export earnings. Sadly though, workers and their families in these areas are found to reside in constricted living spaces amidst poor conditions. It has been recorded that the poverty head count ratio is alarmingly high in the estate sector, at 10.9% as against the national average of 6.7%. Currently, 1.5 million of the population come from the basic estate sector with one million of them living in the estates, it was pointed out.