Govt. to roll out special programmes to recognise contribution of up-country Tamil community to plantation sector

Coinciding with the 200-year anniversary of the arrival of the first generation of the up-country Tamil community to Sri Lanka, in next February, the Cabinet has decided to roll out special programmes to enhance the living conditions of the up-country Tamil community, who contributed immensely to the development of the plantation sector.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to implement such identified programmes, with the aim of improving the up-country Tamil community’s living conditions through the Plantation Ministry and other relevant government bodies.

The Government Information Department highlighted that the up-country Tamil people currently contribute to around one-third of the total income of the plantation sector.

“Evaluating the contribution of up-country Tamils to the Sri Lankan economy, the up-country Tamil people, who migrated from India and live in the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces, have been contributing to the national economy in various ways for about 200 years,” it stated.