New northern capital in Mankulam

P.Krishnaswamy

An administrative capital for the North would be built in Mankulam, 30 km north of Vavuniya shortly to facilitate civil administration in the peninsula, in anticipation of the complete liberation of the north from the LTTE, Dr. P. Ramanujam, Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development told the Sunday Observer.

He said the process of locating an ideally situated capital was initiated on the recommendations of Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP, using the French government sponsored GIS satellite mapping system.

Mankulam, a rural town on the A-9 Kandy-Jaffna road, is centrally located among all different towns and areas where population is concentrated with connecting road networks and railway.

The availability of space, water and electricity facilities were the other factors for selecting Mankulam as the administrative capital, Dr.Ramanujam said, adding that the Ministry was now conducting a feasibility study.