The Eastern Province Action Committee of the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement is set to meet under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat, today (08).

The President’s Media Division (PMD) said Grama Shakthi People’s Movement is a project implemented in accordance with a concept of President Sirisena to show the path to people to escape the trap of dependency and to achieve self-sufficiency in partnership with the private sector. This project is successfully operating in Divisional Secretariat-level, targeting the underprivileged people.

In the year 2018, Grama Shakthi societies in the Batticaloa district have been allocated Rs 42 million and, another Rs 66 million and Rs 33 million have been allocated for the Ampara and Trincomalee districts respectively, the PMD said.

Out of the 5,26,567 people in the Batticaloa district, 11.3% are affected by poverty,  while out of the 6,49,402 people in Ampara district 2.6% affected by poverty,   and 10% out of the 3,79,541 people in the Trincomalee district have been affected by poverty.

At present, a number of projects have been implemented by the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement to develop the livelihood of these people, which will be widely discussed at today’s meeting.

The political authority of the province and the government officers will be participating in this meeting where the issues faced by the people of the area will be specially considered and approaches will make to solve those problems immediately.

Thus, private organizations and the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement societies will enter two agreements by today in the Action Committee and that will be held on behalf of exporting sea plants and collecting Murunga leaves.

Meanwhile, the President will engage in an observational visit to Batticaloa, Munmunei, Sathurukondan areas today, where the Grama Shakthi People’s Movement is being carried out.

In the village where 468 families are residing 91 numbers of women are the breadwinners on behalf of the livelihood development of those families, the projects that are being carried on have certain issues and they will be further inquired by the President, the PMD added.

Through the Gramashakthi People’s Movement, 1000 villages have actively started its projects. 700 out of them are publicly handled villages and 300 are production and service oriented villages. President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed to uplift the number of villages for 4000 by 2020, according to the PMD.

-PMD