Proposal for the Establishment of New Divisional Secretariats

Proposal for the Establishment of New Divisional Secretariats in the Estate Sector in Sri Lanka DR. A. S. Chandrabose Department of Social Studies The Open University of Sri Lanka 16. 06. 2010

Introduction • Divisional Secretariats (DS) are public sector administrative institutions in Sri Lanka • Delimitation of DS divisions has been taking place from time to provide better services to the communities which are not sufficiently catered previously • At present an average of 40, 000 people are under a DS division and a Grama Niladhari (GN) division covers about an average of 700 people at national level. • DS division in Ampara district serves a population of 7, 587

Introduction • This situation is not prevalent in all parts of the country. • In the estate sector an average DS is responsible to provide state administrative services for about 130, 000 person • An average GN in the estate sector has to take care of 3, 500 people which is about five times larger than at the national level.

Need for increased DSs • Poor enrolment of voters • Difficulties in obtaining NIC in time • Weak in documentation etc. • Also poverty alleviation programmes of the country are not properly reaching this sector mainly due to the poor access to the state sector administrative officials to the estate sector.

Need for increased DSs • According to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Report nearly 30 percent of the estate sector households are below poverty line. • Only 13 percent of them are receiving support from the state but it is provided for about 80 percent of the poor HH s in the other sectors by the state. • Therefore, the estate sector people urgently required a meaningful delimitation

Status of Indian Tamils in SL About 1, 000 65% About 200, 000 13% About 300, 000 20% Categories living in the Tea and Rubber Sector living in the North and East living in the cities etc. Estate Rural National Communities Average (predominantly Indian Tamils ) (predominantly Sinhalese ) Literacy rate 76. 9 % 94% 92% Living in Own House 24% 94% 88% Income in SLRS (per day) SLR 350 750* 800 Poverty % 32% 22% 18%

• The estate workers are largely concentrated in the DSs of Nuwar Eliya and Ambagamuwa in N. Eliya and each of these two DSs consists a population of about 200, 000. • This will also greatly enhance the integration of the estate population with the rest of the communities in the country. • The political leader of the estate community (late) Hon S. Thondaman made several representations to the Ministry of Public Administration during his period of office in the government, but all his attempts were not materialized.

Previous suggestions for delimitation • During the Presidential election campaign promises were made to provide and complete the housing programme for the plantation workers by the end of 2015. • The recent suggestion on delimitation was put forward by the ‘Panambalama’ Committee’ in 1996 and recommended to create a number of new DS in the country. • However, this committee has not recommended any DS in the estate sector, except for the creation of Lunugala DS in the district of Badulla. • Proposals were also made by the delimitation committee in 2006, but it has not been implemented.

Proposals of the Human Development Organization (HDO) Methods • Reviewed the previous proposals of not only the committees’ report, but that of the political parties’ of the estate sector • Conducted few consultative meetings in up country areas such as Hatton and Badulla in the month May 2010 • Used the population data of 2001, land use map, topography, human settlement and stakeholders. • Interviews and Discussions.

Existing Number of DSs and the Number of Newly Proposed DSs for the Estate Sector Districts in 2010 Districts Number of Existing DSs Number Newly Proposed DSs Total 1. Nuwra Eliya 5 7 12 2. Kandy 20 3 23 3. Badulla 14 2 16 4. Ratnapura 17 2 19

District : Nuwara-Eliya At present the Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat is one Divisional Secretariat on its own. It is proposed to create new two more Divisional Secretariat in the Existing Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat. The details of the proposed DSs are as follows: Clasification Amabgamuwa Population Area – approximately Norwood Hatton Total 46, 784 95, 661 59, 987 202, 432 200 201 60 471 (in square kilometers) GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division 33 18 15 66 (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. 18 65 41 124 Total 51 83 56 190

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Nuwara- Eliya DS. Existing Number of DS Division = 01 Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions= 03 Details of the proposed two DS Divisions Classification Nuwara Eliya Thalawakele 85, 641 75, 382 61, 078 205, 760 120 200 196 516 27 25 20 72 Divis ions Available in the proposed Division 32 51 39 122 num bers) Suggested additional Nos. Total 59 76 59 194 Population Area – approximately Nanuoya Total (in square kilometers) GN (in

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Walapane DS. Existing Number of DS Division = 01 Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = 01 Details of the proposed DS Divisions Category Population Area – approximately Walapane Ragala Total 53, 145 53, 787 106, 932 213 90 303 95 28 123 - 17 17 95 45 140 (in square kilometers) GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. Total

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Kothmale DS. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = 01 01 Details of the proposed two DS Divisions Category Population Area – approximately Kothmale Thispane Total 55, 519 38, 373 95, 892 135 76 211 (in square kilometers) GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division 44 50 96 (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. 11 2 14 Total 55 52 110

District: Kandy Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Medadumbara and Panvilla DS. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = 01 01 Details of the proposed two DS Divisions Category Population GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. Total Medadumbara Rangala Total 38, 000 20, 000 58, 000 64 30 94 - - - 64 30 94

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Kundasala DS. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = 01 01 Details of the proposed two DS Divisions Category Population GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. Total Kundasala Rajawella Total 66, 000 40, 000 106, 473 50 30 80 - - - 50 30 80

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Udapalatha DS. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = 01 01 Details of the proposed two DS Divisions Category Population Udapalatha Pussellawa Total 46, 100 40, 036 86, 136 GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division 39 10 49 (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. 10 20 30 Total 49 30 79

District of Kandy Existing DSs New DSs 1. Medakumbara/Panvilla 2. Pussellawa in Udapalatha 3. Kattabulla in Pasbage 4. Korale 5. Deltota in Doluwa

District: Badulla Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Ella, Hali Ella and Passara DSs. Existing Number of DS Division = 01 Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = 01 Details of the proposed four DS Divisions Category Population Ella Hali Ella Passara Namunugala Total 32, 615 67, 082 38, 783 60, 000 198, 470 GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division 22 37 31 40 130 (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. 10 20 5 10 45 Total 32 57 36 50 175

District: Ratnapura Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for Balangoda and Impulbe DSs. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = 02 01 Details of the proposed four DS Divisions Category Balangoda Population Impulbe Marathenna Total 79, 640 35, 228 50, 000 169, 868 GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division 53 30 20 103 (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. 15 5 20 40 Total 68 35 40 143

Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for , Haldummulla DS. Existing Number of DS Division = Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions 01 = 01 Details of the proposed four DS Divisions Category Haldummulla Population GN Divisions Available in the proposed Division (in numbers) Suggested additional Nos. Total Welanvita Total 20, 000 17, 000 37, 666 24 15 39 - - - 24 15 39

District of Badulla Existing DSs New DSs 1. 2. 3. Springvalley/Pallakaduwa- Ella/Hali Ella Amalgamation in Soranatota Koslanda in Haldummulla 4. Kandaketiya in Badulla

District; Ratnapura Proposal for the Creation of New Divisional Secretariat for, Kahawatha , Nivithigala and Kalawana DS. Existing Number of DS Division Proposed Additional Number of DS Divisions = = Details of the proposed four DS Divisions Kahawath a Nivithigala Kalawana Rakwana Category Population 32, 083 40, 412 38, 201 38, 000 148, 696 Available in the proposed Division 17 20 23 18 78 Suggested additional Nos. 10 20 15 20 65 Total 28 40 38 38 143 GN Divisions (in numbers) Total 03 01

District of Ratnapura Existing DSs Proposed new DSs in Ratnapura District 1. Rakwana in Godagawella/Kahawatha 2. R…. In Balangoda/Imbulpe

Thank You

District of Kegalla Existing DSs Proposed DSs A new DS – Ytiyantota/Deraniyagala