After decades

Sun rises in East

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

[email protected]

With the Provincial Council Elections round the corner, the Eastern theatre or the province of the rising sun - Negenahira of this island nation is getting a real facelift. Being one of the most beautiful provinces of the island nation, the Eastern Province is blessed with a blue green ocean, pearly white sands, a natural harbour, a fertile soil and many more - those known and unknown treasures.

This Eastern Province and countrymen living there, though being hit by both man made as well as natural disasters, seem to be the most fortunate among all Sri Lankans. It never lost its beauty despite being messed around a bit by one of the world’s worst terrorist groups - the LTTE.

Soon after the whole of Eastern theatre was liberated from the ruthless grip of the LTTE Tigers, the Government initiated short and long term development programs to bring back the glorious past of this valuable land and its people.

Life was hard for the inhabitants of the East, yet, through program such as the Gama Neguma (Village Uplift Program) and several other special projects implemented through the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, a new leaf was turned in their lives.

According to statistics available with the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure, by the end of last year the total number of projects approved for all the three districts of the Eastern province were fully complemented.

In the Ampara district alone a total of 168 approved development projects have been fully completed by the end of 2007. The total budgetary provision for all the projects was Rs. 93.32 million, but the actual cost had been 82.82 million.

In the Batticaloa district, by the end of last year all the 57 approved projects were completed for the Batticaloa district alone with an expenditure of Rs. 40.33. In the Trincomalee district 95 projects were completed by the end of 2007. The total expenditure for all 95 projects had been approximately Rs. 74.03 million.

These projects include road development, education, uplifting micro enterprises, water supply and sanitation projects and many infrastructure development programs.

Roads

According to statistics, a total of 124 kilometres of roads have been built in 2007 in the Ampara district alone. In the Trincomalee district the road structure, both urban and rural, was developed with a total cost of over Rs. 38 million.

At a total cost of Rs. 64.57 million, roads in the Ampara district were developed, the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development statistics reveal.

In the Batticaloa district the road system was developed at a cost of Rs. 30.38 million. In the Eravur town Divisional Secretariat division there were 25 projects to develop the road system of the area and in Koralaipattu West DS division there were fourteen and in the Kattankudy DS division six projects. All these projects have been successfully completed within the year 2007.

In the Ampara district programs were carried out even in the rural areas in developing the road system. Each DS division have been keenly looked into every inch of the area where special attention was necessary. Hence, in the district of Ampara 129 projects are completed in the road development and reconstruction sector.

In addition, under special projects a new road between Panama and Lahugala via Raddella is under construction at a cost of Rs.5.6 million and road renovation project on the Mahaoya Chenkaladi road at the expense of approximately Rs. 5.3 million.

In the Trincomalee district 58 projects in the road development were completed and in the reconstruction sector at a total expenditure of approximately Rs. 38.05 million.

Fisheries and agriculture

Majority of the people in the East are either farmers or fishermen. Hence, development in the two respective sectors are crucial for the overall uplift of people’s lives.

At a cost of Rs. 500,000 projects were carried out and completed in the Ampara district to uplift fisheries and the agriculture sectors.

Irrigation

Since agriculture plays a main role among the communities of the Eastern province, irrigation is a high priority. Eastern province geographically is a dry land and since the total eastern border is the deep blue Indian ocean. Agriculture demands a heavy amount of water for its proper growth.

In the Trincomalee district alone with a total expenditure of Rs.9.3 million the irrigation system of the area has been developed in the year 2007. And in Ampara the total expense to develop irrigation systems has been 450,000 rupees.

Education

Since both the war and the tsunami affected the total education system in the East focus on the education sector is of high importance.

In the Trincomalee district Rs. 4.14 million had been spent on the education while Rs. 4.16 million was spent in the Batticaloa district. And in the Ampara district Rs.5.52 million spent to uplift the weak points of the education sector of the region. These were the completed projects of last year and new plans are on the process for the future as well.

Water supply and sanitation

According to ministerial progress reports, projects to uplift the water supply and sanitation levels in the Batticaloa district have been totally completed at a cost of Rs. 3.84 million. In the Ampara district, Rs. 2.91 m water supply and sanitation projects were completed during the last year.

Eastern revival

The Government has allocated large amount of resources through the 2006 - 2009 budgetary framework for a number of programs and projects under the ‘Mahinda Chinthana - Gama Neguma, aiming at rapid development and poverty reduction.

The Ministry of Nation Building has been directed to implement the Eastern revival (Negenahira Navodaya) program and projects including the ‘Gama Neguma’ among others, through a synergized mechanism for the proper resource, allocation and coordination to ensure maximum benefit for the people of Eastern region.

In mapping out the implementation strategy of the Eastern Revival, the area specific development programs have been identified as an effective way to meet the development needs and priorities for the respective districts.

The development takes place in the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee in an equitable manner taking in to account the population density, territorial extent, prevalence of poverty and the status of underdevelopment.

This project also connects to the national level including mega infrastructure development projects. These aim at improving the connectivity with other regions.

The Eastern revival also focuses on livelihood development which aims at expanding livelihood opportunities and improving the living conditions of households at grassroots levels.

These activities focus mainly on the Maga Neguma, electricity, drinking water, irrigation, livelihood development.

All these activities are carried out under the umbrella of Gama Neguma with the involvement of all stakeholders from the Eastern region and through the machinery of government agencies.

The main component of the Eastern revival includes linking and supportive infrastructural projects which are aimed at improving mobility and accessibility at regional level.

These projects will also improve the capacity of the regions to link with the mainstream of development. These have a catalytic role in boosting commercial activities in the regions of the Eastern province.