Eastern development on par with other provinces

Mohammed Naalir

The Government has launched a massive development drive in the Eastern Province including the recently liberated areas to develop the province on par with other provinces.

Attention has been drawn towards highway development and road development, the health sector and provision of good sanitation facilities to the public, agriculture sector, community development programmes. While developing the infrastructure facilities special attention will be paid to human resource development.

Advisor to the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Jeganathan said that the Government has allocated Rs. 450 million to develop the health sector in the province and to provide good sanitation facilities to the public.

The funds will be spent to develop hospitals, dispensaries, staff quarters and ward complexes.

He said MBBS doctors have been employed in the hospitals in the recently cleared areas including Vakarai.

The Government has launched a massive agricultural development drive in the Eastern Province under the Neganahira Navodhaya Programme to assist the farmers and to increase agricultural output. The financial requirement for the upcoming three years are Rs. 153.8 million, 134.3 million and 44.35 million respectively for the year 2008, 2009 and 2010 to carry out agricultural development work in the Eastern Province. Rs. 2.935 million has been allocated so far.

With the funding of the Treasury and other sources, Agrarian Service Centres, fertiliser warehouse and minor tanks are to be renovated.

The Government has distributed 64 two wheel tractors under the "Yen grant for Agriculture equipment. Meanwhile, the Government has reserved 11,000 metric tons of fertiliser to the Eastern Province for the 2007/2008 Maha season. The Government intends to distribute 6,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the Yala season this year.

Director of the Road Development and Highways Ministry Dhammika Matharaarachchi said that the Government has focused increased attention towards road development in the Eastern Province. The Government intends to develop the road network in the province to provide better transport facilities.

He said that several issues related to road development have been identified so far. They are insufficient road maintenance, poor linkage within and to other districts due to bad road conditions, delayed road rehabilitation improvement work and poor contribution to the economy due to not having proper infrastructure facilities.

Matharaarachchi said that the Periyakallar Causeway, Kodikallar Causeway, Kalkudah-Valachchanai road (4.42km), Oddamawadi-Vahaneri road (3.0km out of 9.25km), Padiruppu-Vellaveli road (2.0km out of 6.03 km) and Valachchanai Nasivanthivu-Navaladi road (2.12km out of 5.12 km) have been completed so far. The Periyakallar causeway, Kodikallar causeway projects were completed with a Japanese grant.

Construction work on the Ambilanthurai-Weeramunai road costing Rs. 641 million funded by the Asian Development Bank is now in progress.

Construction work on the Maha Oya-Chenkaladi road with a Rs. 1,100 million funding of the Asian Development Bank will commence shortly.

The Oddamavadi bridge will be constructed costing Rs. 380 million with funding from the Spanish Government.

Rural roads were improved through the Highways and Road Development Ministry, District and Divisional Secretaries with the assistance of Local Government Authorities and Provincial councils. The Highways and Road Development Ministry has implemented a rural road development project under the Maga Neguma project.

Meanwhile, Vocational Training Authority Director W.A. Ranaweera said the Vocational Training Authority has initiated vocational training programmes in the province with a view to create skilled employees for the development of the country.

In addition to the existing Vocational Training Centres, three training centres have been built, at Ninthavur costing Rs. 98 million, Sammanthurai costing of Rs. 230 million and the Cental Camp costing Rs. 122 million will be established.

Rs. 20 million has been allocated for the development of Akkaraipatthu training centre and Rs. 30 million for the development of Karathivu training centre respectively. These funds will be utilised to construct buildings and to develop other infrastructure facilities related to technical education and training students.

Rs. 27 million will be spent to construct the Pottuvil training centre and the GTZ will spend Rs. 3 million for other basic infrastructure development.

Rs. 591 million will be spent in total for human resource development in the area.