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Programme to recruit 100,000 people from low income families to get underway
View(s):Over 100,000 people from low income families with no formal education will be provided with employment in sectors such as masonry, carpentry, agriculture, fisheries and forest conservation after being trained under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence and the tri-forces.
In a bid to empower families eligible for the Samurdhi benefits and unskilled youth from low income families with no formal education, the government is to establish a Multi-Purpose Development Task Force, a programme to generate 100,000 employment opportunities aimed at eradicating poverty. The programme is to begin this week with the calling for applications.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said the programme, that was included in his policy statement “Saubhagyaye Dekma”, aims to support low income families to raise their income from current Samurdhi allowance of Rs. 3500 to Rs. 35,000.
The President has also instructed that this programme should be restricted to poor families and that the recruitment should be done only after officials have visited the families and gained correct information. He has warned officials not to repeat the mistakes done in the past in the recruiting processes.
“Unskilled individuals without any formal education or of lower level of education will be selected under the programme. During the first phase 100,000 jobs will be provided covering the entire island. Around 30,000 more indirect employment opportunities will also be generated. More than 10,000 graduates will be recruited for the positions of management and monitoring at the field level,” said Director General of President’s Media Division Mohan Samaranayake.
About 300 to 350 persons from each Divisional Secretariat will be recruited. They will be seconded to fill the vacancies which do not require any specific educational qualifications and that exist at schools, hospitals and other state institutions, he said.
The Multi-Purpose Development Task Force will also assist government officials to maintain state properties and other civil activities. These would include programmes geared at preventing dengue, assisting during times of natural disasters, uplifting rural infrastructure facilities and coast conservation.
Once trained and absorbed into specific areas, they will receive a monthly salary of Rs.35,000 and plans are ahead to provide employment opportunities in the residential area itself.
“The recruitment will be conducted under the supervision of heads of religious places, government agents and public officials. The assistance of security force officials will also be provided for the recruitment process,” he added.
President Rajapaksa has said this project will be instrumental in liberating families from poverty and empowering them economically.
Under another phase it is also expected to provide foreign employment opportunities based on applicants capabilities and skills. It has been planned to link them to a pension scheme upon completion of 10-years of service.