Officers criticized on inactive youth resource centers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2003, 05:07 GMT]
The regional youth resource centers constructed in twelve divisional secretariat regions in the Batticaloa district are not helping the youths in any meaningful way to meet the education and employment expectations of the youths, and the main reason for this is the negligence of senior youth service officers, Batticaloa residents have alleged.

Six buildings were constructed for the youth resource centers at a cost of 200,000 rupees each in the six divisional secretariat regions of Kaluwanchikudi, Manmunai North, Valaichenai, Ottamavadi, Eravupattu and the LTTE-controlled area of Kannanguda. In the remaining 6 divisions, since no permanent buildings could be found, the resource centers are located temporarily at public buildings.However, the youths in the areas complain that the centers are providing only a negligible amount of service, and have no serious work plan on providing much-needed libraries or on helping the youths find jobs. Moreover, in the economically depressed areas of Eravupattu and Kannanguda, there is absolutely no service at all; the buildings look like deserted open grounds and stray cattle are often seen in the buildings, sources said.



Residents of the area complained that in the current climate when the people of the North-East have to take responsibility for their own development with whatever little resources are locally available, the reason that there is no service although the buildings have been constructed is that the youth service officers are negligent. The officers who have the responsibility to supervise these matters and make the proper plans are negligent of their duties—criticism is especially leveled against the deputy district director, the provincial director and some of the regional youth service officers, the residents said.

The residents said that the youths also have to take some of the blame in not bringing the matter to the attention of the senior officers promptly. However, they said that the senior officers have more responsibility to provide the needed services to the youths. The residents also say that the senior officers should take the initiative to construct permanent buildings for youth resource centers in the 6 divisions where the centers are currently operating temporarily out of public buildings.