Five years of development

Badulla district

On road to prosperity

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Matara

Transport is a vital link for development and for decades Badulla and Moneragala districts were virtually isolated from the rest of Sri Lanka due to lack of accessibility.

Landslides were a common occurrence in the two districts and this led to the virtual closure of roads. Even train services too were affected due to this.

Due to this, even the investors had shunned the two districts which led to the government having to give out more incentives to the underprivileged population.

The UPFA government was quick to spot this grey area and as soon as it came in to power and addressed this issue. New roads were constructed and the existing ones widened with new technology to minimize the landslides. Estate roads too were neglected and new concrete roads were introduced opening up new opportunities for the estate sector employees who were a forgotten lot for centuries.

Over 225km of A grade roads, 427.5 km of B grade roads, 1001.5 km of C grade roads 180.1 km of D grade roads, 108.7 km of Urban development roads, and 8970.4 km of Pradeshiya Sabha roads were developed. The total road development amounting to 10,914 km were redeveloped.

Under the decentralized budget Rs. 10,487,695.40 was spent to implement 22 projects in the year 2006. In the year 2007, the funds spent was Rs. 10,915,390.19 for 154 projects. In 2008 the amount spent on 124 projects was Rs. 8,403,649.70 and in the year 2009 Rs. 4,058,041.72 was spent for implementation of 157 projects. Under the Gama Neguma programme, Rs. 3,827,842.40 was spent on three projects in 2006, Rs. 1,836,000 was spent on 207 projects in 2007, Rs. 4,456,924.96 was spent on 911 projects in 2008, and Rs. 11,940,033.77 was spent in the year 2009. Under Maga Neguma, 73 projects at a cost of Rs. 51,313,910.89 were implemented. Under the Uva-Wellassa Development Scheme the government implemented another 13 road projects at a cost of Rs. 11,940,033.77.

Under various development and education schemes job oriented persons were created among the estate sector increasing their earning. After successful negotiations with the estate sector entrepreneurs, higher wages too were introduced. Housing was also a priority for the government and new housing schemes were constructed with better living facilities for the estate sector employees who had been living in 'line rooms' from the pre independence era.

Covering the Badulla district under this programme, the government implemented 13 housing projects in the year 2009. 945 families benefited under this programme implemented by the Gama Neguma scheme at a cost of Rs. 294,000.00

With the Minister of Health Nimal Siripala De Silva at the helm of the development in Badulla, the health and sanitation sectors received a major boost. The Badulla hospital was given a facelift as one of the best hospitals in Sri Lanka and more development is taking place.

Under the Minister's supervision the paying wards in the hospital were refurbished and new wards too were constructed.

The estate hospital which had makeshift doctors saw MBBS qualified doctors serving in them and the small rural hospitals too were developed with modern equipment being introduced.

An ambulance too was provided to most of the hospitals and today the population in these two districts is enjoying a very healthy lifestyle.

The new University.

The Badulla bus stand a new landmark in the district.

The Minister speaking to the Sunday Observer said that health and sanitation had been one of the key areas the government paid emphasis on as the President strongly believed in the term health is wealth.

The Minister said that a mammoth development drive had taken place in both districts and with the development of new roads the travel time from main cities to Badulla has been reduced. "The development drive which was initiated would continue in the future as well," he said.

He said that many hospitals were under the provincial councils and this was one reason for them to lag behind infrastructure. "I spoke to the Provincial Councils and with their blessings took them over to the Central government and today the move has come in for high praise," he said.

The Minister who was also in charge of the Uva-Wellassa Scheme also invested Rs. 36,327,909.20 for 36 projects in the Badulla district during the last four years. "Education too had been one of our priorities and the birth of the new University is a result of this development," he said.

The Uva Wellassa University is the 14th National University in Sri Lanka. It is different from all the other universities, as it is designed to provide essential skills and broad general education to all students while providing a conceptual and methodological background and the training necessary to obtain practical solutions for value addition of local agricultural and mineral resources of Sri Lanka. He said that this is the only university in Sri Lanka which guarantees a job as soon as a student leaves the university.

The total number of projects implemented by the Government during the last four years in the district amounted to 5126 projects out of which 2264 projects were implemented under District Decentralized Budget, 2753 projects under Gama Neguma programme, 73 under Maga Neguma programme and 36 projects were implemented under Uva-Wellassa Development Scheme.

The literacy rate in the Badulla district today stands at 85.2%. The number of projects implemented by the government during the last four years for educational development in the district amounted to 321 projects. .

Under the decentralized budget a sum of Rs. 6,519,300 was spent to implement 122 projects in the year 2006, Rs. 4,165,649.31 for 2007 for 79 projects and Rs. 4,165,649.31 was spent in the following year for implementation of 27 projects. In the year 2009 the amount spent was Rs. 1,190,611.54 for the implementation of 93 projects.

A cultural centre for the indigenous people of Sri Lanka too was constructed in Dambana.

The Minister however said that they still have a grey area to address. "This is the problem the District faces with lack of drinking water. With foreign assistance this problem would be ironed within the next two years," the Minister assured.

One of the biggest development projects to usher a new era to Badulla would be the Uma Oya project which was planned in 1988. As a result of the visit of President Rajapaksa to Iran, President Mohamed Ahamadinejad consented to grant Rupees 45 billion to launch this Multipurpose Scheme.

The project will enable the people of Wellassa who had been deprived of irrigation facilities to cultivate their land. More than 500,000 people of the Uva, Southern and Central Provinces will receive water and electricity under this project. The Electricity Board has estimated the annual value of power to be generated by the project at five billion rupees.

Thousands of jobs will be generated, providing numerous opportunities for the youth. The number of projects covering roads, rural roads, irrigation, agriculture, housing, education, water supply, health, electricity, social welfare and other development work in the Badulla district implemented during the last four years are enormous and a very huge amount was spent for these projects.

"I know that people would be grateful and this year the UPFA would secure six out of the eight parliamentary seats from the district," he predicted.

Matara district

Southern development drive catalyst for quality life

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Matara

Construction work to build the new commercial and government complex in Hakmana

The Matara Bridge is the link that connects the deep south with most of the other districts in Sri Lanka. This was built during the pre independent era and since then no major development had taken place.

Plans to widen this bridge had been in the pipeline for almost decades and it was this government that finally built it to be the pride of Matara. The government spent Rs. 700 million for the construction of the 116m Mahanama Bridge.

Another project that was in the pipeline for two decades was the extension of the rail track up to Kataragama. Plans drawn and re-drawn for the project by the successive governments were lying for years in the air-conditioned ministry rooms.

The transport Minister, Dullas Alahapperuma with President Mahinda Rajapaksa took the initiative to relaunch the project which is speedily moving ahead at present. Work on the railway track from Matara to Beliatta is almost complete under the first phase of the project. A sum of Rs. 6.1 billion has been allocated for the project.

The construction of a bridge over Nilwala river which was considered a herculean task has now been completed together with most of the other small bridges and culverts. The construction of the railway track from Matara to Beliatta has now been started and soon a passenger can board a train between the two towns.

The Southerner would also be enjoying the luxury travel in the Colombo-Matara highway this year, opening up a new page in the road development history of Sri Lanka. The Southern Expressway will be 128 km with four lanes from Kottawa to Matara. Estimated at Rs. 67,195 million the project will be completed with the addition of 11 flyovers.

It would take less than four hours to reach Matara from Colombo.

Parallel to the billion rupee expressway project which is nearing completion, a record number of road development work was launched throughout the Matara district during the last four years.

Rs. 188 million was spent for the development of the Matara-Akuressa Road. Over Rs. 1000 million were provided for the development of many roads in the Matara city limits.

Mahanama bridge

Matara Dutch Fort, Icon of Matara for centuries

In addition, a stretch of 25 k.m. Matara-Devinuwara-Dickwella road has been completed at a cost of Rs. 655 million. Weligama-Matara road was developed at a cost of Rs. 633.5 million, Welipitiya-Akuressa-Pitabeddera road of 60 k.m., Rs. 735 million and Hakmana-Mulatiyana road Rs. 650 million.

The total length of these roads is about 130 km and the expenditure amounted to Rs. 2,683 million.

Apart from these developmental priorities the government is also constructing the biggest hospital in the Southern province at Matara.

This 1,500 bed hospital is a Rs. 6.1 billion project, with the Korean government funding Rs. 560 million.

Rs. 300 million has already been invested and the project is expected to be completed this year. The Hospital at Naravelpita in Matara will be modernized as a regional hospital. Daily more than one thousand patients seek treatment from the Matara general hospital and to add more infrastructure facilities, Sri Lanka's dashing opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya in a magnanimous gesture has donated Rs. 500, 000 recently.In addition to the large scale hospital projects, construction of the Outpatient Unit at the Devinuwara Rural Hospital, Dental Unit at Deiyandara Rural Hospital, administration building at the Morawaka Rural Hospital, upgrading Deniyaya and Walasmulla hospitals into base hospitals were completed during the last four years.

In another two years the entire population in Matara would have electricity and drinking water, it is estimated. Nearly 100 rural electricity projects and 68 rural water supply projects have been initiated to meet this target. The government has spent Rs. 328 million for raising the electricity supply capacity by 7.4% in the district during the last 4 years.

15 water supply projects at a cost of Rs. 3.3 billion to provide drinking water to 300,000 people in the Matara district are now under way.

The unemployment has been minimized in the district with the Minister of Vocational Training Piyasena Gamage addressing the issue. The Vocational and Technical Training Ministry had taken steps during the past four years to open Vocational Training Institutes for the youth in the Matara district who had failed to continue their higher studies. The technical colleges in Matara, were modernized to suit the modern requirements of training apprentices as Masons, Carpenters, Plumbers, and Electricians etc.

The development of Hakmana into a fully-fledged township initiated by Minister of Mass Media, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane provides its people with such vital facilities as weekly fair complex, modern bus stand, two-storied commercial centre, sports complex, children's parks, and such other infrastructure facilities.Over the last four years Rs. 15 billion have been spent on development projects carried out in Matara town. These include Mahanama bridge - Rs. 700 million, Development of Pigeon Island - Rs. 42 million, Beach Garden - Rs. 32 million, Mahanama Girls School - Rs. 110 million, Construction of Railway Bridge - Rs. 272 million and development of Matara Servatius College Rs. 150 million. In addition, Rs. 35 million has been allocated for a market complex in Kotuwegoda, Matara, Rs. 210 million for Dickwella town development, Rs. 110 million for Ayurvedic hospital and the library for Dickwella, Rs. 250 million for Hakmana town development and Rs. 3024 million for an Economic Zone in Godagama. In order to overcome the long standing hostel facility issue of the Ruhunu University, two hostels for boys and girls each, were constructed at Wellamadama at a cost of Rs. 235 million. With a two-third majority in Parliament at the forthcoming general election the government will herald Sri Lanka as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.