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Paddy production up from 3 to 18 percent:
Batticaloa district makes headway
By P. Krishnaswamy
The Batticaloa district that has now turned out to be a much
developed region virtually in all aspects of development on a par with
many Southern regions, thanks to the multifarious development projects
implemented under the Mahinda Chintana concept since 2009, also saw, in
the recent months, the implementation of several special
development-oriented programs inaugurated by ministers and deputy
ministers in the spheres of education, IT, agriculture and livelihood.
These programs are in addition to the annual fund-allocations by the
line ministries through the District Secretariat for the implementation
of the regular development programs on promotion of infrastructure
facilities, housing, agriculture, irrigation, tourism, health,
fisheries, industries, livestock and livelihood, District Secretariat
sources said.
Explaining on some of the recent allocations, Batticaloa District
Secretary Mrs. P.S.M. Charles told the Sunday Observer that an amount of
Rs. 1,000 mn has been allocated for the new secretariat building and the
work on this project is expected to be completed soon. Rs. 460 mn has
been allocated for providing relief assistance to the flood-affected
families while Rs. 297 mn has been allocated for providing relief to the
drought-affected families, she said.
Rs. 11.4 mn has been allocated for providing livelihood facilities to
widowed women in the Kallady bridge area. An amount of Rs. 1,600 mn has
been allocated by the Economic Development Ministry for the
implementation of many programs, including the 'One Project for One
Village", financial assistance to 30,000 families under the revival of
the East program and other similar programs, she said.
Government stores and other facilities are to be extended for
re-starting the garments factory that remained closed and about 3000
women will get employment opportunities under the program, she said.
The district has recorded the highest yield per hectare in paddy
cultivation and marked progress has been reached in providing livelihood
facilities, including housing, electricity, drinking water and
educational support services, she said.
Last month, Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Information
Technology, Praba Ganeshan, took part in a ceremony held at the
Iyankerny Tamil Vidyalayam in Chenkalady to mark the provision of IT
facilities to 16 schools in the Batticaloa district. Deputy Minister of
Minor Export Crop Promotion Nishantha Muthuhettigama who was on a visit
to the district in November made arrangements for the opening of branch
offices of his ministry in Batticaloa and Ampara in an effort to promote
the export of minor export crops, specially arecanut and betel, the
reports said. The Deputy Minister said that although there are
facilities to grow cadju plants in 36,000 acres in the district
and,therefore, he would take steps to bring more land under cadju
cultivation.
Higher Education Minister S.B.Dissanayake speaking at a function to
mark the opening of the newly constructed hostel building said that
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is very much committed to higher education
in respect of the Eastern students since it was one of the regions where
education was disrupted for three long decades due to terrorist
problems. The opening ceremony was presided over by Vice Chancellor of
the University Dr. Kidnan Gobindarajah. While hailing the VC and the
university staff for their relentless efforts to bring the university
and the standard of education on par with some of the world
universities, the Minister also gave an assurance that he would start
the faculty of engineering in the university very soon, the reports
said.
Deputy Minister of Resettlement Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan said at
a function that in the budget the President had allocated Rs.800 mn for
the purchase of seed paddy for the drought-affected farmers. He said it
while speaking on the occasion of making payments of compensation to 200
drought-affected farmers, according to the reports. The function was
presided over by the District Secretary.
The Deputy Minister also said that the Kithul and Urugamam tanks are
to be combined at a cost of Rs. 4500 mn in January 2015. Rs. 65 million
has already been provided under budget allocation for this purpose, he
said. A total extent of 20,000 acres of paddy lands can be brought under
cultivation under the project, he was quoted as saying. More than 360
tanks have already been rehabilitated in the district under the program
to promote agriculture, he said, according to the reports. A post office
building for Vakarai at a cost of Rs. 8.8 mn was opened by Postmaster
General D.L.P.R. Abeyratne on November 11, the reports said.
GA Mrs. Charles explaining fund allocations for development-oriented
projects for the district said that a staggering amount of Rs. 70,190 mn
was allocated during the years 2008 - 2013 for development works in the
sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, tourism and the
fisheries industry.
With agriculture and fisheries being the mainstay of a large majority
of the district's population and the government's focus on transforming
the district as a popular tourist destination, the district is fast
transforming as important hub of economic and livelihood activities, she
said.
Under infrastructure development programs, rural roads to an extent
of 4185.07 km are to be rehabilitated/reconstructed by the local
government authorities and considerable progress has already been
achieved, according to details provided by relevant sources of the
Batticaloa District Secretariat. A total of 220 roads, including A Class
Roads, B Class Roads and rural roads are to be constructed under the
infrastructure development program and the work is in progress with a
considerable percentage of the work already completed, the sources said.
The Manmunai Bridge that was ceremonially declared open by President
Mahinda Rajapaksa on April 19 this year stands majestically across the
Batticaloa lagoon connecting the Elavankarai and Paduwankarai regions
that remained virtually separated for centuries, with access available
from one region to the other only through the hazardous ferry service
that was in existence for many decades.
Under these infrastructure development programs, many rural areas and
villages which, prior to May 2009, had either no access or very limited
access to the nearby townships and cities were connected and both state
and private transport services are operating regularly, the sources
said.
Paddy production and paddy land under cultivation during both the 'Maha'
and 'Yala' seasons had progressively increased since 2009 due, mainly,
to the fertiliser subsidy, agricultural equipment and other incentives
provided by the Government, the sources said. The extent of paddy land
in the 'Maha' season that was 50,807 ha in 2009 increased to 60,783 ha
in 2013 while the production that was 1,47,278 mt in 2009 increased to
151,511 mt in 2013. In 2020 this is targeted to increase to 61,320 ha
paddy land, 12,57,544 mt of paddy in the Maha season and 1,34,000 mt of
paddy in the Yala season.
Considerable improvement has been achieved in the livestock
development and dairy farming sector too, the sources said. All milk
collecting centers have been reconstructed and milk chilling centers
have been increased while hybrid milch cows have been distributed among
the farmers in an effort to help them to increase their milk
productivity.
Consequently milk production has increased from 12 percent to 30
percent while the income of the cattle-growers and dairy farmers have
increased substantially while creating more employment opportunities,
the sources said. Milk production that was 3.64 Mn liters in 2009 rose
to 7.3 Mn Lit in 2013 and this is targeted to reach 9.67 Mn lit in 2020.
Vast improvements have been effected in the fisheries sector and in
the lives of the fisher families under the far-reaching programs of the
Government. The fish production that was 23,816 tonnes in 2009 increased
to 45,980 tonnes in 2013 and the production is targeted to be increased
to 75,000 tonnes in 2020, according to the secretariat sources.
The district's nation contribution on fish production that remained
at 03 % in 2008 increased to 8.75 % in 2014. This is targeted to be
increased to 9.85 % in 2020. Nearly 30 percent of the harvests of tuna,
crab and shrimp are exported, the sources said.
The education sector has recorded marked improvements, with 175
schools already rehabilitated/re-constructed, 14 vocational centers
established and 115 schools presently on improvement programs,benefiting
over 30,000 among the student population, the sources said. IT education
programs have been introduced to 45 rural schools in the district and 22
schools have been brought under the 'Mahindodaya Schools Program'. The
teacher: student ratio as of now is 1:20 which is a significant
achievement. The Eastern University which offers five degree courses is
presently attended by 1892 students.
Health services to the people under the health sector are fully
functional with the attendance of medical specialists, physicians, para
medics, nurses and other medical staff in all hospitals - one teaching
hospital, 04 base hospitals, 02 district hospitals, 15 divisional
hospitals, 14 primary health-care units,one chest clinic and one
psychiatric rehabilitation center.
Fourteen Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) are also functioning in
the district.
Four private hospitals and 96 Gramodaya Health/Childcare centers are
also operating , the sources said. Peripheral hospitals have been
renovated/reconstructed ; more rural health centers have been
established ; the the teaching hospital has been upgraded with
state-of-the-art equipment and facilities and the faculty of medicine
has been provided with hostel facilities, the sources said.
An "Urban And Rural Water Supply Scheme" has been implemented at a
cost of Rs. 8300 mn. Water supply both for domestic and
business/industrial requirements has been increased from 6 percent in
2008 to 52 percent in 2013 with more programs under implementation for
fulfilling the total clean water requirement of the district, the
sources said. More than 60 percent of the 1010 high-tension line
requirement of the district has already been provided with programs
under implementation to provide the entire requirement in the coming
years. 2783 of the total 3583 low-tension-line requirement has already
been provided with programs under way to fulfill the total requirement
in the coming years, the sources said. Of the total requirement of 635
sub-stations (with transformers), 552 have already been established, 48
under installation and the remaining 35 will be installed soon. Of the
162,468 connections applied for , 123,188 have already been provided
while connections on the 9280 are being provided. The balance
requirement will be fulfilled soon, the sources said.
Under the Government's program to transform the district as a
much-sought-after tourist destination , 20 tourist hotels with 1300
rooms have already been established while more hotels will be
established in the near future, the sources said.
Beautification of towns and beaches combined with sea-plane services,
preservation of world heritage sites, establishment of more number of
tourist information centers and establishment of handicraft villages are
some of the other measures that are being introduced for promoting
tourism which will create more employment opportunities and also pave
the way for the socio-economic uplift of the local communities, the
sources said.
While the extent of paddy land that was brought under cultivation in
2009 'Yala' season was 15,637 ha, it increased to 19,970 in 2013 while
the production increased to 99,750 mt from 59,227 mt in 2009. This is
targeted to be increased to 26,800 Ha paddy land and 134,000 mt
production in 2020.
While the district's contribution to national paddy production was
only 3 percent in 2009, it increased to 18 percent in 2013, the sources
said.
Facilities provided to the farmers including provision of quality
agricultural inputs, assistance for land levelling and soil improvement,
expanded extension services, advanced technology, enhanced storage
facilities and arrangements for the prompt purchase of the paddy
produces were also instrumental towards the increased paddy production,
the sources said.
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