The government’s flagship poverty‑eradication and community empowerment initiative, the Prajashakthi program, has reviewed its 2026 progress and outlined plans for 2027 at a high‑level discussion held yesterday (24) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Upali Pannilage and Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumaranayake.
Officials reported that out of Rs. 25 billion allocated from the 2026 budget, Rs. 23 billion has already been utilized to implement nearly 23,000 projects, with expectations that all will be completed within the year. An additional Rs. 2,000 million has been directed to model projects and enterprise development programs, which will feed into future phases of Prajashakthi.
Administrative measures highlighted include the appointment of community empowerment officers to local development councils, and their support to the Department of Census and Statistics for rural‑level data collection. The need for smooth coordination among officials was emphasized to avoid conflicts during data compilation.
The Prajashakthi Secretariat has also planned small‑scale enterprise promotion, council evaluation programs, capacity‑building training modules, printing and distribution of guidelines, and the rollout of a three‑year strategic plan. The program’s national data and information system has been completed, with instructions to immediately engage divisional secretariat officers in data entry.
Looking ahead, the Rural Development Plan (VDP) for 2027 will be prepared entirely through this data system. The first program is scheduled to begin in Puttalam district on September 2 and 3, according to Presidential Senior Additional Secretary Kapila Janaka Bandara.
Minister Pannilage stressed that all institutions responsible for community empowerment and social protection must act with proper coordination, guiding national objectives through mutual understanding. (Newswire)