United Nations Resident Coordinator Mark Andrew Franche stated that his organization is pleased with the program and the priority and enthusiasm shown by the current government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to eradicate poverty in the country.
He mentioned that he had met with several cabinet ministers of the current government and that the desire and enthusiasm of all of them is to eradicate poverty, which he sees as a very positive trend.
Mark Andrew Franche stated this during a discussion held last (27) at the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure with the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Samanatha Vidyaratne, and a delegation from the United Nations.
“The government’s commitment to eradicating poverty is commendable-UN Resident Coordinator Mark Andrew Franche”
According to the World Food Programme report, the food issue is very high in the estate sector of this country, and Mark Andrew Franche said that they are ready to help under the World Food Programme and will give full support to the government’s commitment to liberate the people from poverty in the future.
Minister Samanatha Vidyaratne stated that in the future, steps will be taken to build and provide a house on a 10-perch land with a permanent address for the estate people, and to fulfill the basic needs of those people, starting from the food issue, as a government.
The Minister mentioned that the government will fully intervene to solve the food problems as well as the health issues of these people and requested the support needed for this from the United Nations delegation.
The Minister said that 53 hospitals built in the estate sector during the British rule have been closed, and plans are underway to renovate and reopen those hospitals. He also mentioned that education from pre-school onwards should be developed in the estate sector, and all dilapidated roads and toilet facilities in the estates will be provided to the people.
The Minister invited the United Nations delegation to come and see the newly built houses in the Punagala area of Haputale for 50 families who have been in displacement camps for over two years due to landslides, and the delegation accepted the invitation, saying they would come to inspect the housing construction on a future date.
Ministry Secretary Prabath Chandra Keerthi, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mark Andrew Franche, United Nations Industrial Development Organization Representative Dr. Jairo Diaz, International Labour Organization Representative Anoop Singh, and several other representatives participated in this occasion.
