World Bank to inject US$ 86 million for north - east local services improvement project

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20100627_03

World Bank to inject US$ 86 million for north - east local services improvement project
Sri Lanka will receive US$ 86 million from the World Bank to launch the North East Local Services Improvement Project (NELSIP) to develop the 74 local body areas in the region, Presidential Secretariat sources said.
Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development Viyani Gunathileka said with the commencement of NELSIP, the government is scheduled to reintroduce the Jana Sabhas - the concept of implementing local services with the participation of the community at grassroot level with project management handled at the provincial level.
The Country Director of the World Bank and the government of Sri Lanka are expected to sign the agreement for the funding shortly. The 74 Local bodies would implement projects over a period of five years between 2010 to 2015, the sources said.
The Provincial Coordinator for the project in the North are the Governor of the Northern Province Maj. Gen. (Retd) G. A. Chandrasiri and Local Government Commissioner for the North, Francis Johnson.
There are three pre-requisites that all the Local bodies have to prove to be eligible - they have to submit financial accounts up to 2009 promptly, they must have a community participatory development plan and they must have the minimum human resources to implement the project, the sources noted.
"It is up to the Provincial council to provide the necessary human resources".
The Provincial Coordinators for the East are the Governor of the Eastern Province Vice Admiral (Retd ) Vajira Wijegoonewardena and Local Government Commissioner for the East M. Uthayakumar .
There are 34 Local bodies in the North and 43 Local bodies in the East .
The project would have five components with Rs 76 million for infrastructure services delivery, Rs 2 million for Institutionalizing accountability, Rs 4 million for capacity building, Rs 4 million for assessment and evaluation of projects and Rs 5 million for project management
All projects would come under the respective Governor's directive, guidance and monitoring with Sanasa and other rural banks providing the money for the projects following clearance from the Central Bank, said the National Coordinator of NELSIP and Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development, Viyani Gunathilaka.