Five years of development - Ampara, Batticaloa districts:

Synergetic mechanism clicks with 'Eastern Revival'

by P. Krishnaswamy

The Eastern districts of Ampara and Batticaloa were among the worst affected regions in the three-decade long conflict and the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami but life returned to normalcy, thanks to the far-reaching development programs implemented over the past five years under the Mahinda Chintana.

The Negenahira Navodaya (Eastern Revival) is a crucial program that incorporates the core components of the Mahinda Chintana. Under this program measures were taken to restore civil administration, provision of resource allocation among all communities, speedy implementation of mine action program, recommencement of livelihood activities, reconstruction of damaged social and economic infrastructure and industrial development with private sector participation.

The resettlement of over 206,000 persons of the Eastern province, who were displaced due to the conflict, was successfully completed after the Northern and Eastern provinces were liberated from the clutches of LTTE in May last year. Democracy was restored with the setting up of the Eastern Provincial Council. The social and economic infrastructure was revived after clearing all landmines at a cost of Rs. 120 billion under the Negenahira Navodaya program. A large number of bridges in the East including Kinniya, Sri Lanka's longest bridge, and the Arugam Bay bridge were opened to the public at a cost of over Rs. 7 billion. Under the Negenahira Navodaya program electricity was provided to 171,000 housing units up to 2008 under the 665 electricity schemes at a cost of Rs. 1,534 million. In addition 276,000 people benefited under the water supply scheme with an investment of Rs. 45 billion.

The Oluvil Port Project in Ampara, one of the major projects was accelerated under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration for the economic development in the region. The total project at Stage I is Euro 46,095,369.49. The loan agreement was signed between the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Nordea Bank, Denmark on May 23, 2008. The project will provide infrastructure for the economic growth of the Eastern region. The port will form the Southern link in the developing chain of the coastal harbours in the country and will provide more convenient and cost effective access to and from the Southern region for goods and cargo originating from the West coast.

The project comprises the construction of a commercial harbour and a basin for the fishing craft.It covers a land area of 60 ha under the first stage and 105 ha under the second stage. The harbour basin would cover an area of 16 ha of the sea and would spread 1.2km along the coast line. Facilities under Stage I will include the harbour basin for 5,000 ton ships, Pilot Station, Prefabricated Warehouse, Administration building and a Fishery Harbour with an ice plant, cold storage facilities, fish auction halls and refrigerated storage. Work is now in progress and Stage - I would be completed in September this year.

The Ministry of Nation Building has been mandated to implement the Eastern Revival Program and projects including the Gama Neguma among others, through a synergetic mechanism for the proper resource allocation and coordination to ensure maximum benefit for the people of the region.

Rs. 111 billion, both from domestic funds and foreign finances, have been utilised for resettlement, economic infrastructure, productive sector and social infrastructure development under the Eastern Revival program up to 2009.

In mapping out the implementation strategy of Eastern Revival, the areas of specific development programs have been identified as an effective way to meet the development needs and priorities for the districts. The Eastern Revival is also connected with the National Programs and Projects including mega infrastructure projects which are aimed mainly at improving the connectivity with other regions. These projects are expected to create new opportunities for investment with expansion of employment opportunities in the region, particularly private sector investment.

The main component of the Eastern Revival program includes in inter-connectivity and other supportive infrastructure 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 development. The specific area of development activities have a catalytic role in boosting commercial activities in the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

In the districts of Batticaloa and Ampara two major bridges - the Oddamavadi Bridge and the Kallady Bridges - are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 350 million and Rs. 400 million. The Thirukoddigamadu-Akkarapattu highway and the Navalady-Trincomalee highway are being renovated at a cost of Rs. 3,800 million and are due to be completed soon, according to sources of the Government secretariats. Concrete roads in rural areas are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 800 million in the Batticaloa district. The Urugamam, Navagiri and Pudugunawa irrigation tanks have been renovated at a cost of Rs. 232 million and an additional land area of 10,000 ha has been brought under paddy cultivation in the Batticaloa district.

All roads ranging from A grade to C grade were renovated between 2006-2009 at a cost of Rs. 14,017.62 million. The Rambukkanoya, Mahaoya Irrigation Projects costing Rs. 2,500 million was set up at a cost of Rs. 614.91 million in the years 2007-2009 for the project. Rs. 28,665 million was spent on the subsidised fertiliser project for farmers in the Batticaloa district.

All paddy lands that remained fallow for over two decades due to LTTE terrorism in the province were brought under cultivation. Many incentives for farmers, including free seed paddy, tractors for ploughing and fertiliser at highly subsidised rates were provided. The Eastern province is projected to produce over 35 percent of the country's total paddy production, according to an Eastern PC Minister. Plans are under way to double the paddy cultivation in the coming years, he said. Paddy production has shown much progress after 2006 because of easy accessibility to the fields and increased inputs for paddy cultivation. But the climatic conditions that prevailed affected production during Yala 2009. The total asweddumised area was 183,745 ha during 2006. In both seasons (Yala and Maha) approximately 166,712 ha were cultivated and the paddy production was 703,950 m.tons. In 2007 paddy cultivation was on 175,090 ha - an increase of 5 per cent in acreage and the paddy production was 742,526 m.tons and the average yield was 4.1 m.tons per ha.

The other components of the Eastern Revival program is livelihood development program aiming at expanding livelihood opportunities and improving the living conditions of households at grass roots level. These activities focus mainly on the following areas, viz: Maga Neguma, electricity, drinking water, irrigation and livelihood development. All these activities are coordinated and carried out under the Gama Neguma with the involvement of all stakeholders from the Eastern region through Government Agents/Provincial Institutions/Statutory Bodies under the coordination and resource allocation by the Ministry of Nation Building. In this process the office of Basil Rajapaksa, MP, Senior Advisor to the President provided guidance and reviewed the progress of all development activities, including the 180-day Program for the Sun Rising Region of Sri Lanka which was inaugurated by the President in mid-July 2007.

In the Batticaloa district Rs. 6,547,389.6 million was disbursed for the coconut sector for re-planting, under-planting, re-planting, home gardening, rehabilitation and gliricidia subsidy out of the total earmarked Rs. 13,509,510 million. In the Ampara district Rs. 8,274,761 million was disbursed for the coconut sector. In the Ampara district Rs. 292,603.81 million was disbursed out of Rs. 365,010 million earmarked for the rural industries (clay-based products -Maligatenna). In the Ampara district Rs. 146.5 million was disbursed for the rehabilitation of the Karawahu Drainage Scheme under the re-awakening project of the total Rs. 240 million to be allocated. In the Batticaloa district Rs. 81.4 million was disbursed to rehabilitate the Rugam scheme under the Re-awakening Project out of the total Rs. 340 million to be allocated.