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10 billion allocated for development projects in the north

05 Feb 2012 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Economic Development Ministry has allocated Rs.10 billion for various development projects to be carried out in the north this year, officials said yesterday.

Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda and Northern Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, made this announcement at a meeting held at the Jaffna District Secretariat.

Mr. Devananda said that though the opposition had alleged that no budgetary allocations had been made for the development of the North and resettlement of the IDPs. The Government carried out many developmental activities and resettled people with the allocations that had been made. He also said that the development work carried by NELSIP and NERP in the North were by the funds from the Government and the funds spent by voluntary organisations for construction of houses and other development work were funds approved by the Government, the Minister added.

Divisional Secretaries, Senior Government Officers of the Northern Region and Peoples’ Representatives had been invited for this meeting. The discussion centred round as to how the sum of Rs.10 billion allocated by the Ministry of Economic Development had to be utilised. The problems faced by the people who have been resettled and those who had been resettled in the peninsula, issues regarding lands belonging to the government and public properties, fresh water fish farming projects, issues regarding fisheries industry and making available fishing gear for the resettled fisher families were discussed in depth at the meeting.

Special attention was paid to study the planned development projects that were to utilise the funds from the Ministry of Economic Development. Under these projects there were many that had been planned for implementation like; Rehabilitation of rural roads, small and medium scale irrigation projects, rural drinking water projects, renovations to school and public buildings, establishment of rural health centres, establishment of Hospitals, setting up of fertiliser and paddy stores, construction of post offices and other offices including renovations to old office buildings, construction and renovations to multi-purpose co-operative building and seed stores, providing with financial assistance to the resettled, construction of toilets and providing with many other facilities deemed essential to the people. The Minister instructed the Divisional Secretaries to report to him the details of all the government lands and public properties.

He also instructed the Divisional Secretaries to inform him with details of areas where fresh water fish and shrimps could be carried out together with maps marking these places.

Imelda Sukumar, G.A. Jaffna. Mrs. Yogeswary Patkunarajah, the Mayor of Jaffna City; Mr. Sylvestri Alantin, EPDP, Jaffna District Member of Parliament and several Government officials participated at this meeting.

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10 billion allocated for development projects in the north

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