By Franklin R. Satyapalan
The Second phase of the Government’s Divi Neguma Programme aimed at improving the living standards of 2.1 million families countrywide commences tomorrow (27) at the auspicious time of 9.59 a.m., Director of the Divi Neguma Programme Jayatilleke Herath said yesterday.
He said that the Economic Development Ministry targeted 1.5 million families under the first phase of the Divi Neguma Programme in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthanaya proposals.
President Rajapaksa spelled out during the Budget speech of 2011 that the government aimed to uplift the individual family to uplift the village and thereby uplift the country as a whole.
"The Divi Neguma concept was aimed at increasing nutrition levels of families, reduce daily expenditure on food items, provide food security and additional income to family and thereby improve the living standards of each individual household," he said.
The Programme is being taken forward in the 14,020 Grama niladhari divisions of the country through Samurdhi animators, agricultural research assistants and mid wives.
The Progress of the programme is being monitored by the Chairman of the District Development Committee (DDC) through the 25 District secretaries, 334 Divisional Secretaries and 14,020 Grama Niladharis in the country.
The three Senior Ministers overseeing the three sectors under the Divi Neguma Programme are Athauda Seneviratne (Agriculture) A.H.M. Fowzie (Cottage Industries) and Milroy Fernando (Fisheries and Livestock Development).
According to the weather of each of the district a combined variety of vegetable seeds were being distributed.
Deputy Director of the Divi Neguma Programme Mrs. Sagarika Sumanasekera said that though 2.8 million families had requested for rearing of back yard poultry within the next two months within 2011 they could only provide 23,000 families with 10, one month old chicks which had been vaccinated.
At present tenders had been called for locals as well as Indian companies to forward their expressions of interest for supplying 200 mini hatcheries. Selected individuals would be provided the necessary support to set up 200 mini hatcheries to take day old RIR, Indian Giriraj chickens and rear them for a month and vaccinate them before handing them over to selected families.
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