Causes and Consequences of Exclusion of Plantation Community from the Public Sector Service Delivery

Abstract

The plantation sector covers 4.4% (901,647 people) of the total population in Sri Lanka and it mainly comprises with Indian Tamils while including smaller number of Sinhalese. This community has been isolated from mainstream of social, political, economic and development process of the country and plantation management has been completely control their whole life and work. In addition, they have been provided inadequate basic social service from public sector and excluded from some of public service delivery. Therefore, this study focuses to examine the factors contributing for exclusion of plantation community from public service delivery and what are the effects created by them at local level. Both primary and secondary data were used for the research and mixed method is employed for the analysis. Primary data and information collected through questionnaire survey (374 households) and focus group discussions in Palindanuwara and Mathugama Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Kaluthara District. The collected data and information will triangulate through in-depth interviews (26) and key informant discussions (16) with former public representatives and officials of local government authorities, officials in Divisional Secretariats and field officers and trade union leaders. In addition relevant acts, ordinance and other official documents will use to collect data. Descriptive method and simple statistical analysis are employed to analyze qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Research findings reveals that plantation community exclude from some public service delivery, due to legal barriers, behavior and attitudes of relevant public officials and plantation management. Lack of supervision of filed officers is another strong cause for exclude the plantation community from public services. Consequently they suffer from lack of infrastructure facilities and deprived by basic needs. As a results, they act as passive citizens rather than being an active citizens