President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced a new pilot initiative aimed at increasing the incomes of Sri Lanka’s estate community, in what is being seen as both a socioeconomic intervention and a strategic move ahead of the local government elections in the Nuwara Eliya District.
Speaking at a campaign rally held at the Talawakele Municipal Council Grounds, where he addressed voters and party supporters gathered to support National People’s Power (NPP) candidates contesting in 12 local government bodies, the president said the program was designed to improve the quality of life in a region often overlooked in national development policies.
The estate sector, home to thousands of tea plantation workers—many of Indian Tamil origin—has long suffered from low wages, poor living conditions, and limited access to public services. Recognizing these issues, President Dissanayake said that the government is prepared to roll out targeted economic support that includes income-generating schemes and infrastructure development, starting with pilot efforts in selected communities.
“A significant amount of funds has been set aside from the national budget specifically for village development,” he said. “But the success of these development efforts depends on having trusted leadership at the local level. That’s why we are asking the people to entrust their local government institutions to the National People’s Power.”
The president’s remarks tie into a broader campaign strategy that emphasizes decentralization, empowerment of local authorities, and grassroots development—pillars of the NPP’s platform since its rise to prominence.
Political analysts observe that the announcement is part of a calibrated outreach to historically marginalized groups, particularly in the hill country, where voters have been skeptical of promises made by previous administrations. By launching a pilot project instead of broad reforms, the president appears to be testing a proof-of-concept model—likely aimed at gaining both tangible results and political goodwill before scaling the initiative further.
However, some opposition figures argue that such declarations, made in the heat of an election campaign, could amount to politicized budgeting. They point to past instances where pre-election promises failed to materialize, especially in areas like Nuwara Eliya where development disparities have persisted for decades.
Still, for many estate workers, the prospect of targeted government support—even in pilot form—is a welcome gesture. As the May elections approach, the pilot project may serve not only as a development initiative but as a litmus test of the president’s ability to deliver tangible benefits to communities on the fringe of Sri Lanka’s economic map.
Whether it succeeds in transforming the estate sector or simply functions as a short-term campaign promise, the project underscores the heightened political significance of hill-country constituencies in Sri Lanka’s shifting electoral landscape.
