SILMIYA YOUSUF
COLOMBO : Plantation Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana has urged all public servants to think anew and implement a new program instead of relying on traditional ideologies to overcome the crisis faced the country.
The Minister also stated that if a new program is not implemented, loss incurring state institutions will not be able to become profitable.
The Minister made this statement while participating in a discussion held at the auditorium of the Ministry of Plantation at Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla recently.
The Minister further added.
“Register tea, coconut and cinnamon nurseries with the government and formulate a program to provide financial assistance and technical knowledge to the owners of those nurseries. The financial assistance will not be recovered. Also, engage in tea replanting and new planting.”
“We provide tea plants to everyone free of charge. If so, obtain tea plants owned by the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority from outside. Some financial assistance will also be provided for water supply schemes. These are not subject to any criteria. In the past, assistance was provided for such projects. But, it was not followed up. It was just a waste of money. Such things cannot be allowed to happen this time. Therefore, the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority must monitor these tea plantations.”
The government has also decided to provide 2.3 million coconut seedlings to the public at the Divisional Secretariat level next year. The public sector alone is not enough to meet the coconut demand in the country. Therefore, coconut seedlings should be provided to private entrepreneurs as well. However, there is already a huge demand from the people for coconut cultivation. The Coconut Cultivation Board has a large number of employees. But, the country cannot produce coconuts to meet its needs. If the coconut seedlings are not sent to the nurseries as scheduled, these employees are useless. Therefore, the Coconut Cultivation Board should be ready to supply the required coconut seedlings to the entire country by next January. The responsibility of the Coconut Cultivation Board is to produce sufficient quantity of coconut seedlings as required by the country. They cannot escape that responsibility. Please provide a service that is commensurate with your salary.
We have also initiated a project to undertake intercropping in tea and coconut plantations. We expect to contact housewives for the purpose. Chilies, vegetables and peppers can be grown as intercropping. They have to produce the required compost manure for the purpose. We provide financial assistance for the cultivations. High quality seeds are provided free of charge. We also look forward to implement projects such as beekeeping and animal husbandry at the household level.
Every government that comes to power says that the State Plantation Corporation is loss incurring. These are really losses. Ministers and officials are there to make loss incurring estates profitable. Therefore, if we want to make a profit by developing the estates owned by the State Plantation Corporation, we have to think beyond the traditional methods. Why we can’t think of technology and develop it in a new way? Resorts owned by the State Plantation Corporation have been destroyed. Tourists do not come to stay there. Develop these in a way that makes them a tourist attraction. If so, it’s a way for us to earn an extra income. These are always a loss if you do not take advantage of the resources available. We do not provide new vehicles. Therefore, repair the vehicles owned by the State Plantation Corporation and keep them in operation.
State Ministers Hon. Janaka Wakkumbura, Hon. Arundika Fernando and Hon. Kanaka Herath and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Ravindra Hewawitharana, Secretaries to State Ministries, Ministry Officials and Heads of Institutions were also present at the occasion.
