CMC to implement several projects for women residing in Colombo

By Lal Gunesekera

Mayor of Colombo A. J. M. Muzammil says that the Colombo Municipal Council will pay special attention to the needs of women and will implement several projects and programmes for the benefit of women residing in Colombo.

He observed that 51 percent of Sri Lanka’s population comprises women, but there was a lack of representation within the political, administrative and socio-economic spheres.

Muzammil says that a ‘Women’s Fair’ will be launched in the city and the CMC will attempt to take appropriate steps to curb various types of harassment women have to face. A self-training programme too is to be launched soon for them.


The Municipality has also decided to launch a ‘Self Employment Fund’ for the benefit of women and obtain advice from financial institutions such as the Gramin Bank of Bangladesh and Sanasa Bank in Sri Lanka.

The city father says that although plans are afoot to relocate the Manning Market, the CMC will strive to retain it within Colombo for the convenience of its residents and in allocating stalls at the Mariakadde Market in Maradana, priority will be given to stall owners of the former St. John’s Fish Market who were denied stalls at Peliyagoda.

Mayor Muzammil also says that there are about 700,000 permanent residents in Colombo with a further 500,000 commuting daily to the City for various reasons and any future city development plans would include providing basic amenities in all city centres. The emphasis will be given to construct public parking areas for three-wheelers in strategically located points in Colombo.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46417