Moratuwa University experts to transform Mullaitivu townships
by P.Krishnaswamy
The work started by a team of experts from the Moratuwa university to
transform Pudukudiyiruppu, Oddusuddan and Mullaitivu as advanced and
modern townships with educational, health care and residential
facilities is in progress. It is anticipated that the towns would become
better towns than even Jaffna and Vavuniya after the completion of the
work. The UDA is also working on the projects. Tourism centres,
adventure parks and mini golf courses will feature under the town
planning program envisaged by the UDA.
More than four and a half years after the final battle to eradicate
the world's foremost terrorist outfit from the face of this country,
many developments in agriculture, livelihood facilities, education,
healthcare and infrastructure have been achieved in the Mullaitivu
district, Government Agent Nagalingam Vedanayagan told the Sunday
Observer. The resettlement of the displaced is over and they have
returned to their traditional professions. The development programs to
bring the terrorism-ravaged district on par with the other districts are
being successfully implemented, he said. The work on renovation and
rehabilitation of the main highways are complete with uninterrupted road
transport services operating to all destinations in the country, he
said. Sixty percent of infrastructure facilities and electricity is
complete, with work in progress to complete the rest, he said. Almost
all irrigation tanks are renovated and cultivation of paddy and other
highland crops are undertaken in all cultivable lands, including
previously abandoned lands, the GA said.
Bullet-riddled houses and buildings and other remnants which was an
eye-sore are no longer there and the district is bustling he said. The
Army runs a luxury resort called Lagoon's Edge in the same area. The
controversy over the acquisition of land for the Security Forces'
strategic camp in the Keppapilawu village has been sorted out, with
houses built for the displaced people in a model village, in the same
vicinity, and provision of all infrastructure. Of the 285 displaced
families houses with all facilities have already been built for 150
families who have already gone into occupation while the work on
building houses for the remaining families is under progress and will be
completed soon, the GA said.
The following details in relation to development programs were also
provided by the GA:
Almost all mine-infested areas have been cleared with only a small
percentage of the area still to be cleared and the number of families
resettled is 39,660 comprising of 127,092 persons. Rs.437.12 m has been
allocated for four Water Supply schemes - the Pandiyankulam scheme, the
Mallavi scheme, the Oddusuddan scheme and the Thunukkai scheme. Minister
of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa who is Chairman of the
Presidential Task Force for Northern Development recently opened the
four projects completed at Rs.455.14m Mn. As at the end of November last
year, 19,713 new houses have been built for the resettled families, 2033
houses have been repaired and housing assistance has been provided to
5006 families consisting of 156, 58 persons.
An amount of Rs.23,450.75 Mn has been allocated by the Ministry of
Economic Development for road development. Seven roads to an extent of
224.67 km have been asphalted under the project. In the electricity
sector, 132 kV Transmission Lines to an extent of 149.02 km, 33 kV
Transmission lines to an extent of 137.82 km, several 3 phase lines and
56 sub stations have been provided. The number of schools presently
functioning in the Mullaitivu and Thunukkai educational zones is 115
with a total number of 24,032 students and a total number of 1508
teachers. The total amount invested for educational and schools
development is Rs.203.4 Mn of which Rs.116.7 Mn has already been
utilised. Improvement of educational standards is one of the main
focuses 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 an expenditure of Rs. 5.0
Million and Rs. 4.5 Million respectively (total 9.5 million) . The total
expenditure under various education-related programs for the district
during the years 2009 - 2012 is Rs.487.22 Million. The achievements
targeted by the year 2016 in the field of education is: (i) achievement
of GCE(OL) and GCE(AL) by 75 percent, (ii) increase A/L Science
education by 70 percent, (iii) build up social harmony, reconciliation
through co-curricular activities and (iv) fulfill the requirements of
science labs, libraries and ICT rooms in all I AB and Type II Schools.
Under the healthcare curative services 01 General Hospital, 01 Base
Hospital, 08 District Hospitals and 90 primary medical care units are
fully functional in the district. Under the healthcare preventive
services 05 MOH divisions, 23 PHI range areas, 72 PHM areas and 01 Chest
Clinic are functioning. The total investment for the health sector is
Rs. 651.878 Mn. Medical Equipment to the value of Rs. 80 Mn were
supplied to the hospitals last year. The newly constructed office of the
Regional Director of Health Services was opened by parliamentarian Namal
Rajapaksa.
Electrification projects are under implementation and 100%
electrification in the entire district is anticipated to be achieved
soon with the completion of these projects.
Under the Irrigation Development Works for increasing agricultural
productivity the the Ministry of Economic Development allocated a total
amount of Rs. 2022m . Irrigable land to the extend of 20589 acres and 17
tanks are covered under this project. Irrigation being the major focus
of the Government for the district, several tank
rehabilitation/construction projects have been launched under the
Conflict Effected Region Emergency Project ( CAREP ) and the Emergency
Northern Recovery Project (ENReP). Under the CAREP, the rehabilitation
of the Vavunikkulam Tank (head works) project was launched at an
expenditure of Rs.240.72 m and 91 percent of the work has been
completed. A major portion of the work on the Pannankamam Tank (down
stream) rehabilitation has been completed and the total amount allocated
is Rs.27.64 m. Rs.28.26 m was allocated for the
Kalvilankulam ( head works ) rehabilitation is and the work is
completed. Rs.12.91m for the downstream work of the same tank and the
work is now over. Rs.9.11m has been allocated for the ( head works )
rehabilitation of the Kallavilankulam tank and the work is over.
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Mankulam - Mallavi asphalted road |
Under CAREP Rs.22.13m was allocated for the rehabilitation ( head
works) of the Madawalasingam tank and 85 percent of the work is
complete. Rs.28.70 m has been allocated for the rehabilitation (down
stream) of the same tank. Rs.193m was allocated for the rehabilitation
of the Thannimurippu tank and work is in progress. Rs.172.89m was
allocated for the rehabilitation ( down stream) work of the same tank
while Rs.55.31m was allocated for the rehabilitation ( head works) of
the Udayarkaddu tank. Rs.139.98 Mn has been allocated for the
rehabilitation ( down stream) of the same tank and work on completing
the project is in progress. Rs.39.75 Mn has been allocated for the
Viswamadukulam tank rehabilitation ( head works) and Rs.81.99 Mn has
been allocated for the rehabilitation ( head works) of the
Maruthamadukulam tank.
Under the CAREP another amount of Rs.327.268 Mn has been allocated
for the rehabilitation of several other tanks in the district. Over Rs.
1800m is required for rehabilitating the Kanukkery Tank and the number
of families benefiting is 320 and the extend of land coming under
irrigation is 1813 acres.
The cultivation of paddy, highland crops, vegetables and fruits that
had diminished to the lowest levels prior to the first quarter of 2009,
during the LTTE terrorist regime, improved considerably in the
post-conflict period. Last year, paddy cultivation had been recorded at
17769 tonnes, high land crops at 7692 tonnes, vegetable cultivation at
2123 tonnes and fruit cultivation at 565 tonnes. The targeted production
for 2016 is 82,600 tonnes of paddy, 22,000 tonnes of other field crops,
56590 tonnes of highland crops and 6650 tonnes of ground nuts. It is
projected that this increased level of agricultural productivity will
contribute to 04 percent of GDP in 2016. Funds have been allocated and
work is nearing completion on the rehabilitation of five more tanks.
Rs.23.496m was allocated for the Mallavi tank and 90 percent of the work
is over.
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 far-reaching programs
for the social and economic welfare of the fishing communities. Fish
production that was 1379.55 tonnes in 2010 is increasing several folds
with assistance, support and encouragement provided by the Ministry.
A three-fold increase was recorded last year. It is projected that
the fish production will increase several fold in the future. The line
ministry distributed fishing nets, mechanized boats, non mechanised
boats, and other fishing gear to the fisher families who had lost
everything during the long drawn out conflict. They are now living in an
atmosphere of peace and contentment because all pass systems and
restricted hours of fishing have been dispensed with.
All these roads are asphalted. Seven highways, including the Kandy -
Jaffna A 09 highway. Fifty houses were constructed under the Kokkilai
Housing Project and 500 houses were constructed under the Welioya
Housing Project funded by the Ministry of Resettlement.
The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Local
Government and the Provincial Council rehabilitated 12 roads extending
65.5 Km at an expenditure of Rs.1424 Million. Houses were constructed
under the Kokkilai Housing Project and 500 houses were constructed under
the Welioya Housing Project funded by the Ministry of Resettlement. |
