Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-06-04

Uplifting the living standards of the estate workers

- Although projects for providing housing and other facilities have been implemented to upgrade the living standards of the plantation community, it is observed that due to their unnecessary mode of expenditure and weaknesses found in attitudes, the benefits targeted to be achieved by the implementation of such projects could not be realized as anticipated. As such, launching of an awareness programme has been planned to enhance the living standards of the plantation families, by which it could bring about an impact on the quality and the quantity of green leaves, also with the expectation of minimizing the consumption of alcohol in the plantation sector. Further, attention has also been focused to educate them about the productive management of their earnings as well in order to uplift their living standards. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Plantation Industries, to implement the said programme as a pilot project in collaboration with the Ministry of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure & Community Development, was approved by the Cabinet.