Identify the successfulness of poverty reduction strategies in Kegalle District

Abstract

Poverty is one of the most multifaceted problems in the world. The poverty rate in Sri Lanka has decreased from 28.8% in 1995/96 to 6.7% in 2012/2013. But based on the data of the 2012 census of population and housing in Sri Lanka and the household income and expenditure survey 2012/2013, the poverty map complied by the department of census and statistics and the world bank’s global poverty practices team highlight the geographical disparities between the poverty rates at the district and divisional secretarial levels shows. The poverty of Sri Lanka at regional levels is still a problem although Sri Lanka has long been implementing poverty reduction strategies. Therefore, this study was conducted to study the successfulness of the strategies adopted by the regional government to reduce poverty. The area of this study was the Mawanella divisional secretariat of the Kegalle district because this area represents the highest poverty reduction programme implemented. Hence to achieve the target, 60 households were selected through simple random sampling method. This research has used questionnaires and interviews to collect the primary data under the method of surveying and also secondary data have been collected by using central bank records, journals, books, area maps, articles, divisional secretariat data and area resources profile. Descriptive analysis and qualitative data analysis have used for data analysis. Table, charts and has used to represent data and maps were created by using geographical information system software. The finding of this research was the poverty reduction progrmme was affective in getting control poverty average level in this area. Promoting income generating sources, controlling high consumer spending, introducing saving and reduction unemployment, encouraging small and medium scale entrepreneurs, solid waste management, modernization of agriculture and non- agriculture sectors are the main programme to help the control poverty on the above level.