Incomplete Citizenship of the Plantation Community: Access to Governance Institutions and
Public Service Delivery
on identity affiliation, political affiliation and from other forms
of associational relationships. This becomes visible mostly in
selective or means-tested welfare programs, where officials
are more likely to provide services in line with a patron-client
approach or patronage system. Healthcare, housing, subsidised
food, relief during natural disaster, social security payments
for elders, the disabled and pregnant mothers, and provision
of Samurdhi benefits, all largely suffer from the above informal
approach. During the field survey, respondents mentioned that
there are government programmes as stated above to help poor
and marginalised people with loans, livelihoods, subsidies for
livestock, agriculture, funds to open shop, funds to embark micro
enterprise, and so forth. However, the selection process and
eligibility criteria for these programmes often leave out many
families most in need. It was revealed that only some 40% of those
selected receive such support. The remainder do not have informal
relationships, networks, or the power and ability to bribe officials.
Also, the Plantation Community raised the issue of the quality
of public services that reach deserving people: always substandard
and therefore of little use. Hospital, education, and housing
were rated by the Plantation Community as the most important
services, but also expensive due to institutional practices. In the
Kandy district, 48 per cent of the respondents noted that “we
seldom go to hospitals as they are far off from our residence and
there is always a shortage of medicine and lack of a sympathetic
attitude of health workers”.
Public institutions in Sri Lanka are steeped in clientelism.
When formal institutions break down or place enormous rules
and eligibility criteria, local elites and influential people in the
41
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents