More benefits for Jaffna after President's visit :

Development-oriented programs launched in Northern Province

By P. Krishnaswamy

During his historic visit to Jaffna last week President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated a series of development-oriented programs, mainly in the transport, educational, health and civil administration sectors.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa commissions an electricity project in Jaffna by unveiling the plague. Minister of Power and Energy Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister of Traditional Industries and Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda and senior ministry officials are looking on.

In fulfillment of the LLRC recommendations, he handed over land deeds to 20,000 families who had lost their lands due to the LTTE's terrorist activities.

The President also handed over a compensation amount of Rs.115 Mn in respect of 1,218 families out of a total amount of Rs.300 Mn which the government has allocated in the current year for payment of compensation in respect of families who had lost properties under similar circumstances.

The President also handed back to the respective families part of the gold jewelry that were recovered from the possession of the LTTE. As the first event in the itinerary of his three day visit, the President declared open the Mahindodaya Technical Laboratory established at the Hindu Maha Vidyalayam in Kilinochchi, according to official reports.

It is equipped with a laboratory comprising 40 computers, a language laboratory with 20 computers, a mathematics laboratory, a 'Nenasa' distant education unit and a GCE (A/L) laboratory.

The newly constructed Kilinochchi district secretariat and the Akkarayankulam district hospital in Klinochchi were declared open by him.

The President also inaugurated the two reconstructed railway stations, Kodikamam and Chavakachcheri, on his way to Jaffna, travelling in the 'Yal Devi ', to officially inaugurate the Yal Devi service.

Laboratories

The newly constructed Jaffna railway station at a cost of Rs.89 Mn was declared open by him. Under the program to establish 96 Mahindodaya laboratories in the Northern Province to impart knowledge on Information Technology to the Northern children, the President declared open several such laboratories in Kilinochchi, Vaddukoddai, Delft, Kayts and Karanagar, according to the reports.

A busy fishing village in the North

The front view of the Chavakachcheri Base Hospital

A busy vendor of herbal products

The Jaffna railway station

The Vasavilan Madhya Maha Vidyalayam

A housing scheme at Mandaitivu

Entrance to the Jaffna main bus terminal

He declared open the Mahindodaya technical laboratories in the Vadakkachchi Maha Vidyalayam and in the Jaffna Hindu College.

On his visit to the Delft, Kayts and Karainagar offshore islands, he declared open the Mahindodaya technical laboratories in the Delft Maha Vidyalayam and then commissioned a mega scale electrification project which fulfils 99 percent of the electricity requirement of the Delft Island.

Five hundred and fifty of the 1,300 households on Delft Island already have electricity. With the commissioning of the new electrification project, the other 750 houses will be supplied electricity, according to the reports.

The Government has invested Rs.47 million in this electrification project. Delft is the largest island in the country which covers an area of 40 square kilometres. It consists of 1,346 families with 14 villages and six GN divisions.

He also declared open the newly constructed Divisional Secretariat office in Delft at an expenditure of Rs.78 Mn. He opened the newly constructed Velanai Divisional Secretariat office. To further improve the road transport services to the rural areas, the President provided 70 new buses to the SLTB depots in the district, according to the reports.

District Secretary/Government Agent (GA) for Jaffna Sundaram Arunainayagam presented the Jaffna District Progress Report up to August 2014 to coincide with the President's visit.

According to the report, the Government has invested a staggering Rs.89, 021.2 Mn in seven key sectors from 2009. Rs.2,464 million was reserved for agriculture, Rs.3,111 million for industries, tourism and trade, Rs.18,179 million for human settlement, Rs.6,225 million for economic infrastructure, Rs.48,055 million for transport, Rs.8,663 million for social infrastructure and Rs.2,320 for administrative activities.

With the allocations made by the Central Government and as a result of the prevailing peaceful atmosphere, all sectors of the district have been rapidly progressing, according to the GA.

The details of the other development-oriented programs and amounts allocated up to August this year as given by the GA are as given below:

The government has taken measures to repair 100 places of worship that had been damaged in the period of turbulence. The program is being implemented by the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries under the supervision of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera.

Huge amounts have been invested in 'Divi Neguma' and 'Gama Neguma' projects, which are being implemented under the overall purview of the Economic Development Ministry. "On the whole, rapid developments virtually in all sectors have taken place in the district in a short period, beginning from 2009. The progress achieved in the livestock sector has been significant.

The President, during his visit, advised Provincial Education authorities to take measures to end the teacher shortage in rural schools by implementing a proper teacher transfers and updated recruitment procedures.

Irrigation

The Government has already initiated measures to provide water to the Northern Province through the Mahaweli scheme, the President announced. Plans have already been finalised for this mega water supply project and the implementation would be the next stage, the President said.

He said it at the District Development Progress Review Meeting of the Northern Province held in Jaffna. When implemented the project will fully resolve the drinking water and irrigation requirement of the Northern people, he said.

About 34 'salt water exclusion schemes' have been implemented which include the Upparu lagoon, Elephant Pass lagoon, and the Vadamartchchi lagoon.

In addition drainage and ponds construction/rehabilitation have also been implemented covering the Northern peninsula which will benefit a large number of families in the respective areas by enhancing their socio-economic and livelihood facilities.

Over 900 ponds also come under the program. In the past four years Rs.137.80 Mn has been invested for palmyrah development.

The number of dairy farmers has increased considerably in the past five years to reach the present level of 18,438 farmers and the number of milk collecting centres has also increased to 74 in the district, as against 25 in 2010.

The number of poultry farmers has increased to 29,527 and the number of goat farmers to 16,056.

The production of meat has increased to 18.90 Mn Kg with the targeted achievement of 32.80 Mn Kg in 2016 to enhance the nutritional level of the people of the region.

Meat production which is 1.70 Mn Kg at present is targeted to reach 8.60 Mn Kgs in 2016.

In the fisheries sector the government has invested Rs.934.33 Mn for increasing productivity and improving the living standard of the over 20,000 fisher families. The ongoing infrastructure development is aimed at reaching the standard of the industry in Thailand and Japan in 2016.

Vegetable gardening in the peninsula

About 25 acres of the 65 acre Atchuvely industrial estate has already been developed under first phase and it is anticipated that 4,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities would be available under the project.

Lease lands under the project have already been awarded to eight investors. Under the 'Mahinda Chintana -Way Forward " concept, 153.65 Km of A class roads, 56.77 Km of B class roads, 75.34 Km of C class roads and 1162 Km of rural roads have already been developed at an expenditure of Rs.34,808.59 Mn and an extent of 1,018.38 Km is targeted to be completed in 2016.

Electricity

Under the program of 'electricity for everybody', a total amount of Rs.6,225.80 Mn has already been invested. As of now electricity supply has been provided to 96 percent of the total requirement of the district representing 126,161 electrified houses.

Under the social development sector, a total investment of Rs.1117.12 Mn has already been made and Water Supply Schemes (WSS) have been completed with water towers which include the Point Pedro WSS, the Velvettithurai WSS, the Karainagar WSS and the Araly WSS.