A set of proposals and a road map for the socio-economic development of Malaiyagam Tamils is to be submitted to the Presidential candidates vying for the 2024 Presidential Election.
These proposals and the road map aiming at solving the key issues in the plantation sector in the Central, Uva, Ratnapura, Kegalle and other areas will focus on issues related to land and housing, education, skill development, access to public service, health services and postal services.
According to Executive Director of Institute of Social Development in Kandy P. Muthulingam, the institute will present a set of key proposals that need to be implemented for the socio-economic development of the plantation community to the candidates contesting the Presidential and General and other key elections.
“These candidates accept the proposals made by us on the eve of every election but no tangible solutions are given to the key issues of the people in the plantation sector after they come into power”, Muthulingam said.
He said that for the first time, his organisation will present a road map which consists of key issues of the community that can be addressed within a very short time.
Speaking at a press conference in Colombo on Thursday, Muthulingam opined that these proposals in the road map can easily be implemented, if the Presidential candidates are actually determined in solving the issues of the plantation community who have contributed to the economic development of the country for more than 200 years. He said that his organisation representatives will present these proposals and the road map to the candidates in the election fray and force them to ensure their implementation after being elected.
“The proposals in the road map can be implemented within a year. Malaiyagam Tamils have put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears for the economic development of the country. But they are still living in line rooms built by colonial rulers under very dire conditions”, he said.
He added that only 74,000 families out of total 261, 000 families of plantation workers have received housing facilities since 1991. “80 percent of plantation people are still residing in age-old line rooms which are a blatant violation of their human rights,” Muthulingam added.
Muthulingam said that the New Village Development Authority should receive financial assistance to carry out a comprehensive survey on types of houses and identify their ability of residents to construct houses.
“The estate residents who wish to renovate or construct a house of their own should receive lands and they should be able to obtain loans by the Government for the purpose too,” he said.
Muthulingam stressed the importance of implementation of the Supreme Court judgement to ensure equal access to postal services. It was revealed at the press briefing that the estate employer or superintendent received the letter addressed to the estate workers’ concern as they don’t have a proper place of address.
It was revealed in the media briefing that the people in the plantation sector face many obstacles in obtaining services from the Government offices. “There are areas in the plantation sector where a Divisional Secretariat office has to serve more than 200,000. But there are Divisional Secretariats in other parts of the country where the population is only 10,000,” he said.
He stressed the need of establishing such Government institutions based on the population density.
The post Proposals to uplift plantation workers’ lives to be submitted to Presidential candidates appeared first on DailyNews.