http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Modern_townships_for_Mullaitivu_district_20130324_06
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Major tanks restored; better
educational, health care facilities :
Modern townships for Mullaitivu district
Major development projects launched in the Mullaitivu District
include irrigation-related projects such as tank renovations, improvement of
channel systems, construction of bridges and causeways, establishment of dairy
villages, dairy farms and animal production, District Secretariat sources said
Rs.31.30 Mn has been allocated for the projects and many have already been
completed while others are nearing completion. The district that bore the brunt
of LTTE terrorism for over three decades is now bustling with life and activity.
The people, mostly agricultural and fisher families, have returned to their
traditional way of life.
The district was a mine-infested region, inaccessible to the
Government's development programs and experienced constant exodus and
displacement of the people under the LTTE's terrorist regime. Some of the
projects implemented in the first two months of the year are, improvement of
gravity irrigation at the Kanukkernikulam tank in the Maritimepattu Divisional
Secretariat area at a cost of Rs.2 Mn, establishment of an animal breeder farm
at Maritimepattu at Rs. 0.2 Mn, improvement of RB /LB fields and the channel
system of lift irrigation at the Muthuiyankaddu at Rs.6 Mn, improvement of the
DDI's office complex at Oddusuddan at Rs.1.30 Mn, improvement of the ramp and
construction of a bridge and causeway at the Vavunikulam tank in Manthai East at
Rs.3.30 Mn, and the establishment of a dairy village in Manthai East at cost of
Rs.7 Mn.
These are some ongoing projects which will be completed soon,
secretariat sources said. Rs.83.3 Mn has been allocated by the Economic
Development Ministry under the Emergency Northern Recovery Project for
improvement of rural roads, construction of causeways and provision of drinking
water wells for a population of 18,013 in 21 villages in the district and
Rs,63.6 Mn has already been released, the sources said.
Housing units
Housing units completed for 50 families among the last batch of
156 families were handed over to the beneficiaries last week at a ceremony
attended by Rehabilitation Minister M.H. Gunaratne Weerakoon, Deputy Minister of
Rehabilitation Vinayagamurthy Muralidaran, Northern Province Governor
Maj.Gen.G.A. Chandrasiri, Mullaitivu GA N. Vedanayagan, senior military officers
and other VIPs. These housing units were constructed at a cost of Rs.18.75 Mn.
Another Rs. 39.75 has been allocated for the construction of housing units for
the remaining 106 families. Minister Weerakoon also laid the foundation stone
for the next housing complex.
As the strategic Head Quarters of the Security Forces has been
located in Koppapilawu village, alternative arrangements were made to
accommodate the families. Plans were formulated to build a model village. The
housing units in the model village are provided with all requirements including
wells, electricity, road network, schools and several other facilities. Each
family will be allotted 40 perches of land with the house. The security forces
extended assistance to complete a major part of the project, the sources said.
Long-term plans to transform Pudukudiyiruppu, Oddusuddan and
Mullaitivu as advanced and modern townships with more educational, health care
and residential facilities are under way. It is anticipated that the Mullaitivu
district will have better townships than Jaffna and Vavuniya, under the
projects, the sources said.
Modern township projects
The Urban Development Authority (UDA) is already working on the
modern township projects. Tourism centres, adventure parks and mini golf courses
will feature under the town planning.
Electrification projects are under implementation and 100%
electrification to the entire district will be achieved soon. At the end of the
third quarter of last year, 26,802 fully damaged houses were reconstructed and
an additional 12,558 new houses built. Nearly 10,000 partly damaged houses were
repaired.
Last year, the Economic Development Ministry, under its
Irrigation Development Works program to increase agricultural productivity
allocated Rs. 2,022 Mn. An extent of 20,589 acres and 17 tanks are covered under
the project, benefiting nearly 9,000 farmers. About 1,215 acres abandoned
agricultural lands were also reclaimed under the project.
Agricultural equipment including 206 two-wheel tractors, 144
four-wheel tractors and 3,639 water pumps have been distributed among the
farmers. Seeds supplied include 2,723 tonnes of paddy, 0.220 tonnes of ground
nuts, 0.060 tonnes of black gram, 0.030 tonnes of green gram, 0.040 tonnes of
cowpea, 0.050 tonnes of red onions, 0.004 tonnes of maize and 0.002 tonnes of
gingelly. This is in addition to the highly subsidised fertilisers and
concessional services, for ploughing the lands. Also 181 sprayers, 176 rolls of
barbed wire and 1,500 organic tools were also supplied to the farmers.
Tanks restored
Under the Conflict Affected Region Emergency Project, 10 Tanks,
including the four major tanks - the Vavunikkulam, Maruthamkulam, Kalvilankulam
and Kollavilankulam tanks have been restored. The Thenniyankulam Project was
implemented under the Pro-poor Economic Advancement and Community Enhancement
Project.
The balance amount required for tank rehabilitation work is
estimated at Rs. 900 million and the Muthuiyankulam Tank will also be
rehabilitate under future programs. The extent of irrigable land will be 6,112
acres and the number of farmer families benefiting is 3,330. Rs. 1,800 Million
is required for restoring the Kanukkery Tank and the number of families
benefiting is 320 and the extent of land is 1,813 acres.
Under previous fund allocations, Rs. 23,450.75 Mn had been
provided for improvements to the 224.67 km road network within the district
including the construction of new roads, renovation or rehabilitation. All the
roads are asphalted. Seven highways, including the Kandy - Jaffna A 09 highway
and the Paranthan-Karachchi-Mullaitivu A 035 highway, have been developed by the
RDA under the fund allocation of the Economic Development Ministry.
The Economic Development Ministry, Local Government Ministry and
the Provincial Council rehabilitated 12 roads extending 65.5 Km at a cost of
Rs.1,424 Million. 50 houses were constructed under the Kokkilai Housing Project
and 500 houses were constructed under the Welioya Housing Project funded by the
Resettlement Ministry.
The cultivation of paddy, highland crops, vegetables and fruits
that had diminished to lowest levels prior to the first quarter of 2009, during
the LTTE terrorist regime, improved considerably in the post-conflict period.
Up to now paddy cultivation has been recorded at 17,769 tonnes,
high land crops 7,692 tonnes, vegetable cultivation 2,123 tonnes and fruit
cultivation 565 tonnes. The targeted production for 2016 is 82,600 tonnes of
paddy, 22,000 tonnes other field crops, 56,590 tonnes highland crops and 6,650
tonnes ground nuts.
It is projected that the increased level of cultivation will
contribute to 4 percent of GDP in 2016.
Schools developed
The total number of schools in the Mullaitivu district is 115
with a student population of 24,037 and 1,508 teachers. Improvements of
educational standards is a main focus of the Government.
Under the Mahinda Chintana vision of developing 1000 secondary
schools and 5000 primary schools throughout the country, 6 Core Schools and 22
Feeder Schools in the Thunukkai Educational Zone and 4 Core Schools and 9 Feeder
Schools in Mullaitivu Educational Zone are to be developed at a cost of Rs. 5
million and Rs. 4.5 million respectively.
The nearly 15,000 coastal population living along the coastal
length extending 70 Km are blessed with a fertile fishing zone.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development and
the provincial administration have implemented many programs for the social and
economic welfare of the fishing communities. Fish production that was 1379.55
tonnes in 2010 increased three-fold to 4,361.73 tonnes in 2011 and a
considerable increase recorded in the current year. It is projected that fish
production will increase several fold in the future.
The line ministry distributed fishing nets, mechanized boats,
non mechanized boats, and other fishing gear to the fisher families who had lost
everything during the war against terrorism.
The Ministry also introduced several welfare projects, including
insurance, pension and scholarship schemes for school-going children of the
fisher families.
Courtesy : Sunday Observer
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