The Rapid growth of Social
Services & Social Development in Sri Lanka
The Successful Implementation of Mahinda Chinthana by Minister Douglas
Devananda
By Dr.T.C. Rajaratnam
Mahinda Chintana - the concept of His Excellency President Rajapakse
is the grund norm of the development projects of the Ministry of Social
Services and Social Welfare. These development Projects are being implemented
through the Department of Social services, Secretariat for older Persons,,
Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities, National Institute of Social
Development and Sri Lanka Social Security Board.
Ever since Minister Douglas Devananda assumed office as the Minister
of Social Services & Social Welfare, the Ministry of Social Services
& Social Welfare has rapidly progressed and helped numerous citizens
throughout the island.
The following Institutions and Divisions are functioning under the
purview of the Ministry of Social services & Social Welfare:
1. Department of Social Services
2. National Council & Secretariat for Elders
3. National Institute of Social Development
4. Sri Lanka Social Security Board
5. National Council & Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities
6. National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations
7. Vocational training Division
8. Tamil Schools Development Division
9. National Counseling Division
10. National Programme on Community Based rehabilitation with Disabilities.
Minister Douglas Devananda has stated that the Ministry of Social Services
and Social Welfare is striving to provide Social services to the deprived
segments such as elders, persons with disabilities, single parent families,
people affected by mental problems and street people and initiating
programs aimed at improving their living standard. He gives priority
to develop their personality by harnessing their innate potentials to
make them as equal partners in development activities through social
workers in this field. He has initiated programmes to improve the living
standard of the under privileged people and engaged in rehabilitation
and social integration programmes for the drug addicts , for the prisoner's
families and for the victims of prisoners.
The Objectives of the Ministry are as follows:
" To ensure equal rights and opportunities for all disadvantaged
groups in social life.
" To provide social protection and security for the under privileged
groups of society.
" To combat all forces which make persons disintegrated from the
families and communities and to ensure the integration of such victims
in the society .
" To assist the under privileged persons towards their social and
economic upliftment through self reliance.
" Registration and supervision of Non Governmental Organizations.
" Skill Development of Social Workers for efficient service delivery
system.
" Upliftment of families of self employed persons through social
security schemes
The Functions and activities of the Ministry of Social Services and
Social welfare are:
" Formulation of Policies and programmes for Social Development
& Social Welfare
" Establishment and strengthening of Institutional framework for
implementation of Social welfare programmes.
" Development of Human Resources to serve the Target groups.
" Direction, Guiding , Monitoring & Progress control of Social
Development Programmes.
" Follow up of commitments made at the World Summit on Social Development
" Development of Social Management Information system
" Co-ordination and provision of counseling Services
" Protection of the rights of persons with disabilities
" Protection of the rights of elder persons.
" Provision of Pension and Social Security for the self employed.
" Promotion of living standards of Single Parent families.
" Social integration of persons recovering from mental illnesses.
" Provision of vocational training for the persons with disabilities.
" Implementation of project "Sisunena Pubuduwa"for poor
children
" Vocational training for you ( Special project for N &E)
" Diploma and Bachelors programmes in Social work
National Institute of Social Development under the purview of the Ministry
engages in training and educating the officials and social workers in
the service sector. NISD gained University status.
Minister Douglas Devananda is up by 3 a.m. in the morning to commence
his work. His handpicked confidantes help him with the files to peruse
through and take necessary action, preparation of cabinet papers, drafting
of laws pertaining to his Ministry, responding to the thousands of requests
and pleas which he receives by correspondence and by e mail. He responds
to each and every one of them. His schedule of work demands more time
every day and he has very little time to rest.
As the Minister of Social Services & Social Welfare and the Chairman
of the Council for the persons with disabilities he has accelerated
the activities of the National Council for Persons with Disability.
He submitted the Disability Rights Bill and the Accessibility Regulation
to the Cabinet in 2006 and the Regulation was passed by the Parliament
on 20th March 2007.
In recognition of the outstanding services to humanity and his commitment
towards the cause of persons with disabilities, The United Nations Economic
& Social Commission for the Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) accorded
Minister Douglas Devananda with the highest order of honour. Minister
Devananda was the Minister ofDevelopment , Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
of the North during a previous Government. The Ministry helped the resettlement
of internally displaced persons on state land in the Vavuniya and Mannar
districts, the rehabilitation of place of worship, rehabilitation of
community buildings, rehabilitation of roads and infrastructures, the
revival of closed industries in the North, educational development in
schools and imparting vocational training to thousands of youth in the
North and East. It was during his period that the IT information Park,
commonly known as the IT Park which is the gateway to the world knowledge
through internet wa established with the provision of more than a hundred
computers in the Jaffna town.
In recognition of his outstanding service to the Nation, President
Mahinda Rajapakse appointed him as the Chairman of the Special Task
Force for the Development and Rehabilitation of the North.
Douglas Devananda stands as a unique person in Sri Lanka for the following
reasons:
" He is a Leader of a recognized Political Party
" He is the only elected representative of the Tamil people of
the North in the Government
" He is the only Cabinet Minister for the Tamil people of the North
" As a Cabinet Minister, being a member of the minority community,
he serves the entire Nation
" He is the Chairman of the Special Task Force for the Development
and Rehabilitation of the North
" He is the only Cabinet Minister who has the knowledge of the
intricacies of armed struggle and democracy
" He has survived several assassination attempts owing to his wisdom
and intelligence.
" He has dedicated his life and work for the freedom of the entire
nation
" His political party has numerous members from all communities
" He has upheld the norms of democracy and leads a simple life
….he sleeps on a wooden bench
Kathiravelu Nithiyananda Devananda better known as Douglas Devananda
was born on November 10, 1957. He hails from an aristocratic family
in Jaffna.
(The Writer was the Co-ordinating Secretary to the Chief Govt.Whip
of Parliament-the Late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle; Member in charge of the
English Media of the Media Observation Unit(MOU) established by the
Late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle for the 2005 Presidential Election Campaign
for H.E. President Mahinda Rajapakse; SLFP-PA Candidate at the 1994
Parliamentary General elections for the Colombo District and an International
Legal Consultant)
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