Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka

A  project  for  initially making  50,000 persons IT literate within a month was officially launched by MP Namal Rajapaksa on the invitation of Telecommunication and IT Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya recently. 

 Several  Ministers and Government  officials including  Senior Rural Affairs Minister Athauda Seneviratne  and Presidential Advisor ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Chairman Prof. P. W. Epasinghe also graced the occasion. 

Speaking to the audience at the launch  held  at  the Vidyasagara Pirivena Buddhist Temple at Kotiyakumbura , Kegalle, ICTA Chairman put  the project, aptly called ‘e-diriya’,  in its true perspective.  The Professor said that the support  President  Mahinda Rajapaksa gave for the e-Sri Lanka initiative was at the root of the country’s successful  use of ICT for development. 

The address by the Chairman of ICTA the  apex body  responsible for implementing the e-Sri Lanka initiative, gave a succinct view of the national IT literacy initiative, “e-diriya” as follows:-

“As we now launch  yet another important  project under the e-Sri Lanka initiative, I believe that it is my duty, very briefly, to explain the goals of the project .

Several  programmes  that  make Information and Communication Technology  very fruitfully  contribute to our country’s development were implemented  in the recent past.

It is also my duty to  recall on this occasion the support the Government led by His Excellency the President  gave for integrating all these programmes meaningfully into the society. 

In particular I personally believe that if not for the support His Excellency President  Mahinda Rajapaksa and our Minister, the Honourable Ranjith Siyaambalapitiya offer we would not have made this journey forward with this much of success. 

“You already know  that the priority the  Government has given for  Information Technology  is reconfirmed also through the 2012 budget.   Amidst the various budget proposals greater attention has  been given for  raising  the country’s computer literacy.  It is the Government’s  responsibility to enable as many people as possible  to make their  requirements simple and fruitful by using the computer. Optimum accrual of the benefits of ICT to the people will be possible  only if the people have at  least a simple knowledge about the use of these benefits.

I believe that however much the computer, internet, e-mail  and mobile phone  are widespread in the country, in particular, if our ordinary people don’t have the ability to use these tools  correctly and meaningfully, the optimum benefits of these tools will not accrue to our country.  Therefore  the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka in its endeavour to fulfil  this responsibility, launched  various programmes during the past several  years.            

Out of these the most important programme  is the provision of  training about the use of computers to our Government sector officials.  Accordingly  we were  able to train 14,000 Government personnel and empower them through information technology. 

“In addition, we were   able to conduct training courses for farmers, Buddhist monks, and small and medium scale entrepreneurs and students  who come to Nenasala (wisdom outlets) .

Through the new project that we launch today we have  taken steps to provide IT knowledge to a target group not covered  so far.  In particular we begin today  the provision of   training to 20,0000 Samurddhi recipients in the first round.  I trust that this basic simple computer knowledge that the Samurddhi recipients gain under this project  will help them  change their standard of life in a positive way.  

I believe that although the computer cannot satisfy the  hunger of Samurddhi  recipients it will at least be able to equip them with knowledge and strategy for setting them free from poverty”.

“That is why we have named this project “e-diriya”. The idea behind this is to endow the  underprivileged in our society  with courage (‘diriya’)   through IT. In other words the purpose of this project is to boost up the disadvantaged so that  they  go forward in the world, thanks to computer knowledge, with courage and strength”, ICTA Chairman Professor P. W. Epasinghe said. 

Under the ‘e-diriya’ IT literacy project  we provide computer knowledge  primarily to 50,000 persons.  It is to be noted that training under this project is carried out in such a manner that all the districts of the island other than the Western Province are covered .

I believe that the ‘e-diriya’ project that had its kick-off today  will be helpful in meeting the challenge we have of raising the country’s computer literacy  to  76 per cent  by 2016.  On this occasion I wish to thank the Samurddhi Authority and the Education Ministry for their support in this regard. 

ICTA has planned to implement the “e-diriya” programme uninterruptedly next year as well. 

While I expect  the support of all of you for implementing this plan, I wish to offer my heartfelt  thanks to  young MP  Namal Rajapaksa  for gracing this important occasion to officially inaugurate the “e-diriya” project on  the invitation of the Honourable Minister.  I believe that in particular the presence of MP Namal Rajapaksa  will be a contributory factor in taking this ‘e-diriya’ computer education , in particular,  to the youth in an attractive manner. 

May you all be encouraged through  ‘ e-diriya’  !”

Caption
ICTA Chairman, Prof.  P. W. Epasinghe