Southern Province Development

Hakmana - towards grandeur

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

Hakmana in Matara District was a neglected area during the past. However with this direct intervention of Media and Government Media Spokesman as National Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, Hakmana today is diverted to a new era.

The road network, both highways and rural roads, irrigation, electricity supply and various other development projects are now bring implemented.

The development of Hakmana into a fully-fledged township provides its people with vital facilities - Weekly Fair Complex, Modern Bus Stand, two-storeyed Commercial Centre, Sports Complex, Children's Parks, and such other infrastructure facilities, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena said.

The old Hakmana situated on the Matara-Middeniya Road has now been developed into a fully-fledged modern township. The re-developed Hakmana township has been an another important solid, political and economic hub in this Matara District. Traditional villages were rapidly developed into modern townships as provided for in the Mahinda Chintanaya, said Minister of Transport and Matara District Leader Dullas Alahapperuma. The remote and under-developed Hakmana was developed on a small measure during the past regimes. But an instructions of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Hakmana was brought to a developed township, Divisional Secretary P. Somasiri said.

He said irrigation schemes such as Uyan Oya tank and Denagama tank are projected to rehabilitate. Denagama tank which supplies water to a large number of farmers is to be renovated with a cost amounting to Rs. 700m, he said.

The largest development in Hakmana can be attributed as the progress made in the road network. Almost all the rural gravel roads have been concreted.

The roads leading to Hakmana from Matara, Beliatta, Mulatiyana, Walasmulla have been carpetted. The cost for renovating these roads Rs. 226.3 m. In addition Rs. 65 m had been spent to renovate Deragama-Mulatiyana road and roads leading to Mee Ella, Hakula and Gamvaduwa.

Hakmana community had for 40 years used polluted water. A water scheme is to be implemented spending Rs. 383 m to provide drinking water to the community.

The pioneers in the forefront to develop Hakmana have planned to concrete all the rural gravel roads before the end of the year and to supply all the households before the end of 2010. The plantation sector in Hakmana is also developing rapidly. Today the price of a tea leaves has gone upto Rs. 70 per kilo, and latex Rs. 225/- per kilo. Cinnamon, pepper, 'goraka', and the prices of other allied items had also increased benefitting the small time planters, an official in the plantation sector said.

The paddy price has shot up to sum of Rs. 30-35 per kilo. The farmers were encouraged to plough the barren and abandoned paddy fields due to the fertiliser subsidy.

However, there is a water scarcity to cultivate paddy and the authorities had taken immediate steps to solve these problems by renovating the dilapidated tanks. The Irrigation Department had already prepared feasibility studies to renovate the identified dilapidated tanks.

In order to deal with the developing projects, a new building for the Divisional Secretariat and for the Police Station have been constructed spending Rs. 554 m, Ariya Rubasinghe said.

In addition to the finished and proposed projects Government has focused its attention to identify more developing schemes to suit the needs of the people, Rubasinghe said.

Hambantota: From darkness to light

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

The entire community residing in Hambantota will be supplied with electricity before the early months of 2010, Lighting Sri Lanka Hambantota Project Director S. Bogahawatta told Daily News.

The entire community in Hambantota District will be provided with electricity during this course of the year making this objectives specified in the Lighting Sri Lanka Hambantota District (2006) Project Plan, a reality Bogahawatte said.

In 2006, at the time of the project commenced the electrification of the District was 68%. This was below the national average of 75%. The electrification level in some areas such as Lunugamvehera (36%) and Weeraketiya (46%) were far below the national average during the period in question, a CEB official said. The status of electricity supply was not satisfactory especially in rural parts due to low supply voltages and frequent breakdowns.

The services and manufacturing industry was largely affected due to those problems. However, with the implementation of the Hambantota Project those lapses are solved.

There are nearly 100,000 electricity consumers in Hambantota District at present. This includes 8000 commercial consumers, 1000 industrial consumers and 500 religious places.

Lighting Sri Lanka - Hambantota District Project has been formulated with the primary objective of achieving 100% customer reach in the District. That means that all households in the District will have access to electricity networks within close proximity so that electricity connections can be obtained by them at a nominal cost, he said.

Related scope of work includes expansion of electricity distribution network to presently un-electrified rural areas targeting provision of electricity supply connections to 40,000 additional consumers (households). Today, Hambantota Project has achieved the target supplying electricity for 40,000 consumers, he further said.

Hambantota gets Rs. 500M fisheries harbour, market

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE

The Southern Provincial Council has constructed a complete fisheries harbour in Hambantota which has all facilities needed for fishermen, fishmongers and customers.

Not only the people engaged in fish-related activities even customers had to face many difficulties because there was no proper, well-established fisheries harbour or fish market in Hambantota.

Considering this situation, the Government has constructed a complete fisheries harbour in Hambantota spending Rs. 500 million.

As there wasn't a proper fisheries harbour boat skippers faced difficulties when their boats were damaged frequently by rough tide.

On several occasions boats were reported to have capsized and fishermen escaped narrowly. Around 500 large and small scale fishing boats operate daily from the Hambantota fisheries harbour.

Having identified the requirements and issues, the Government along with the Southern Provincial Council restructured the former fisheries harbour with improved facilities.

Accordingly, an ice-producing plant, fish market, storage facilities for fishing equipment and fish, toilets and other sanitary facilities have been provided in the new harbour fulfilling a long felt need.

"We have all the facilities we were actually in need of. Earlier even basic requirements such as toilet facilities were not available. We had to undergo many hardships as there weren't toilet facilities within the premises.

The fishermen and others who were engaged in several other activities had to use public toilets in town.

As there wasn't an ice-producing plant nearby, fishermen had to spend much money and time to obtain ice. But now we can get ice cubes easily from the ice producing plant at a low price" T.S. Anton Surendra a seasoned fisherman in the area said.

Apart from the current development priorities, moves are under way to establish a filing station for fishing boats in the near future in the harbour premises. It will be a great boon for fishermen as they can save much of their valuable time.

"We were badly in need of a filing station for fishing boats at Hambantota harbour for a long time since a considerable number of boats operate here daily.

Therefore we highly appreciate the Government action of constructing a filling station here" a boat skipper R.S. Rukshan Kumara said landing the move as one of timely action by the authorities.

"Construction of the new fisheries harbour is really a boon not only to the fishing community but to the whole country as well.

More than 4,500 people are directly benefited by the new fisheries harbour project.

Two water breakers have also been constructed in line with the harbour development process.

Therefore boats can easily enter the fisheries harbour and be anchored with safety.

Previously it was so difficult that the rough tide frequently damaged the boats" the Manager of Hambantota Harbour, Priyawansa Punchihewa said.

"At long last we have a full-fledged fisheries harbour and we are really proud of it.

People in Hambantota are in fact indebted to the Government, Punchihewa added.

Vast development in Hakmana

The people in Hakmana are  benefited with modern complete town which consists of all facilities

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said on Thursday after the recent Presidential election, the President clearly stated that he would develop Hakamana.
Therefore now the people in Hakmana are benefited with modern complete town which consists of all facilities, the Minister told a public rally in Hakmana.
The road network has been totally renovated spending millions of money as improved road network is a key feature for development. The Government has spent Rs. 33 million for the construction of one kilometre of road, he said.

A majority of UNP members have joined hand with the Government while the others express their willingness to cast their vote for the Government. Therefore the Government will definitely have a clear majority in the Hakamana electorate at the forthcoming Provincial Council election”.
The Minister said Hakmana town construction is a boon for the Southern Province.