Development Programmes
Government-funded infrastructure, livelihood, and community development initiatives serving the Welipitiya Division in 2026
The Praja Shakthi programme was officially launched in July 2025 under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, fulfilling the government's promise of "A Thriving Nation and a Beautiful Life." Unlike past poverty alleviation efforts confined to a single ministry, Praja Shakthi links all 25 ministries with 9 directly responsible for delivery, integrating national, provincial, district, divisional, and village levels into a single accountability chain. This DS office is a direct implementer.
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National leadership to eliminate rural poverty — moving beyond a single-ministry approach to a coordinated whole-of-government response.
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Integrated inter-sectoral mechanism — all relevant ministries, provincial councils, and local government bodies act in a unified, not fragmented, way.
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Social protection & empowerment — structured identification of vulnerable groups, with targeted safety nets linked to Aswesuma and livelihood programmes. Currently 1 in 6 Sri Lankans lives in multidimensional poverty; 95.3% of them in rural and estate sectors.
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People's participation in monitoring — citizens, politicians, and officials form a triangular accountability system. CDCs review project progress and residents can flag issues directly to this office.
- A Community Development Council (CDC) has been established in each GN division within Welipitiya. The CDC is chaired by a community leader and the DS officer for that area serves as secretary.
- CDCs identify development priorities and vulnerable groups at village level — roads, irrigation, community centres, livelihoods, social protection gaps.
- Priorities are compiled at this DS office into a divisional development plan submitted to the Matara District Coordination Committee.
- A digital platform (Rs. 1 million IT allocation per DS office) is being set up for tracking proposals, project progress, and outcomes transparently — accessible to the public.
- Community meetings (Praja Shakthi consultations) are held periodically by GN division. Check this office's notice board or call for the schedule of upcoming consultations in your area.
- You can also submit a development proposal directly to this office using the form below — it will be routed to your GN division's CDC for consideration.
The Clean Sri Lanka programme runs in parallel with Praja Shakthi — focused on environmental quality, community cleanliness, and ethical standards in public life. Both programmes are implemented simultaneously through this DS office. If you have ideas related to environmental improvement in your GN division, those can also be submitted through the proposal form below.
The Decentralized Budget Programme allocates funds directly to Members of Parliament (both electoral and national list) for development projects in their constituencies. This DS office implements, supervises, and accounts for all such projects within the Welipitiya division. Project proposals from MPs are reviewed at the Divisional Development Review Committee which includes the MP, Provincial Councillors, and relevant authority representatives.
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Rural road rehabilitation — gravel, paving, and drainage improvements for village access roads to connect farmers, schools, and health centres.
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Drinking water schemes — small-scale pipe-borne water supply systems for communities currently relying on wells or streams.
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Irrigation & agricultural water — rehabilitation of anicuts, canals, and tanks serving paddy farming communities. Rs. 8 billion has been nationally allocated for rural infrastructure in 2026 under the Rural Infrastructure Development Project.
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Community centres & public utilities — construction or renovation of community halls, rural libraries, pre-schools, Sathipola (weekly fair) facilities, and public latrines.
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Low-income housing — the 2026 Budget includes new allocations for constructing homes for low-income families; this DS office coordinates eligibility identification with the GN and relevant ministry.
- Proposals are generated through GN-division level community consultations (including CDC meetings under Praja Shakthi) and forwarded to the MP's office
- The Divisional Development Review Committee meets periodically to review proposals, check technical feasibility, and approve priorities
- Approved projects are incorporated into the Annual Development Plan of this DS office and funded through the MP's constituency allocation
- Works are procured through the Divisional Procurement Committee (Regional Procurement Committee) in compliance with NPC Guidelines 2024
- Progress of all active and completed projects is maintained in the project register at this office, open to public inspection under the RTI Act
If you know of a road, water scheme, or community facility that needs attention in your GN division and want it considered for decentralized budget funding, use the Citizen Development Proposal form below. Proposals with a GN certification and community support are given priority consideration.
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Agricultural modernization — grants and technical guidance for high-yield farming, home gardening, and agri-technology. The 2026 Budget prioritises irrigation infrastructure investment to support paddy and export agriculture.
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Fisheries support — coordinated with the Department of Fisheries and the 2026 Blue Economy policy, with Rs. 500 million allocated nationally for port infrastructure and fishing community livelihoods; Rs. 100 million for life-saving equipment and Rs. 100 million for satellite fish-ground tracking systems.
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Vocational training — state-sponsored skill development for youth through the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC). Contact this office for the current intake schedule and eligible trades.
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Empower 2025/2026 programme — 300,000 Aswesuma beneficiary households are being empowered with livelihood development grants, infrastructure support, and social upskilling across the country; Welipitiya households are part of this cohort.
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Small & medium enterprises — the 2026 Budget includes better financing access for SMEs. Contact the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) or this office for referrals to micro-credit and grant schemes.
- For agriculture grants and inputs: contact the Divisional Agricultural Officer (DAO) stationed at or attached to this DS office
- For fisheries support: contact the Divisional Fisheries Officer or the nearest Fisheries Inspector. Bring your fishing licence and NIC.
- For vocational training: obtain a referral letter from the Social Welfare or Development counter at this office. Registration is done through the nearest TVEC-approved training centre.
- For Empower / Aswesuma livelihood grants: confirm Aswesuma beneficiary status first (via wbb.gov.lk), then apply at the Samurdhi Officer's office within this DS
- For SME financing referrals: speak with the Development Officer at this DS office for direction to NEDA, Samurdhi Bank, or regional development bank schemes
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e-DS Implementation — the government targets full digitisation of every layer of public service delivery from national to GN division level. This DS office has received a Rs. 1 million IT hardware allocation under Praja Shakthi to upgrade computers and network infrastructure.
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Praja Shakthi Digital Platform — a dedicated IT system launched in late 2025 allows development project proposals, approvals, and progress tracking to be managed digitally and accessed transparently by the public.
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Digital literacy programmes — community awareness sessions help residents access www.gov.lk e-services, Aswesuma portal (wbb.gov.lk), Sathkara pension portal, and mobile banking services. Contact this office for the schedule of upcoming sessions in your GN division.
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e-GP Procurement — government procurement is progressively migrating to the national e-GP portal (promise.lk). Some procurement categories at this office will move to e-GP in 2026.
- eservices.gov.lk — apply for NIC, passport, driving licence, and other services online
- iwms.wbb.gov.lk — check Aswesuma beneficiary status, file appeals online
- sathkara.pensions.gov.lk — pensioners' self-service portal
- online.ebmd.rgd.gov.lk — apply for birth, marriage, and death certificates
- drp.gov.lk — Department of Registration of Persons, NIC applications
If you need help accessing any government digital service and do not have internet access or a smartphone, the e-DS help counter at this office can assist you. Staff can help you check statuses, print documents, and complete online applications during office hours.
All development projects in Welipitiya are subject to a four-level monitoring chain under the Praja Shakthi framework: divisional → district → provincial → ministerial, with continuous oversight by the Praja Shakthi Secretariat. A unique feature is the triangular accountability system where citizens, public officials, and elected representatives hold each other accountable — not just top-down oversight.
Any resident can submit a written request at the Development counter of this office to inspect the project register for any active or completed project. Project files are available during office hours under the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016. You may also check the notice board at the DS office main entrance for the current project status display.
Submit a Development Proposal
ⓘ Fields marked * are required. Your proposal will be acknowledged within 14 working days and referred to your GN division's Community Development Council. Proposals do not guarantee project approval — they enter the planning process for consideration. If you prefer to submit in writing, bring this information to the Development counter at this office.
Thank you — your proposal has been noted.
We will acknowledge it within 14 working days and refer it to your GN division's Community Development Council for consideration in the next planning cycle. Bring your NIC to the Development counter if you wish to discuss it in person.
Development Division — Contact Us
For project inquiries, community consultation schedules, or to submit a written proposal, visit the Development counter at this office or call us.
