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| Tuesday, 11 September 2001 |
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by Pravin Mendis A World Bank mission which undertook its first trip to Jaffna in 10 years this August has explored the prevailing conditions for expanding the activities of the World Bank financed North -East Irrigated Agriculture Project at a cost of US$ 30 million. The mission team headed by WB Country Director for Sri Lanka Dr. Mariana Todorova which included Nihal Fernando ,Senior Irrigation Engineer and Saraswathy Dahanayake ,Education Development Specialist for WB has visited many areas in Government controlled Jaffna District from August 9 to 17. Dr. Todorova said the objective of the mission was to learn about the conditions in the Jaffna peninsula and asses how current WB funded projects in Sri Lanka can be broadened to include development activity in the Jaffna district. Dr.Todorova expressed concern over the number of Indian fishing trawlers poaching in the northern coasts and depriving local fishermen in the area of a livelihood .She said security officials were informed of this by her during her observations in the Jaffna peninsula last month. Addressing the media Dr.Todorova said this initiative by the Bank was the first in a conflict area. The Bank does not work in conflict areas she said stressing the fact that it was a tremendous challenge for the project to be passed by the World Bank Board of Directors. The North -East Irrigated Agriculture Project will see the rehabilitation of major irrigation systems in the future in the Jaffna district. In the meantime it is planned to provide assistance to the farming community in the rehabilitation of minor irrigation systems and de-silting of ponds in de-mined areas which the farmer organisations in the area were eager to share the cost and execute as a matter of top priority. The Mission also visited the Jaffna University and local colleges and schools to asses the impact of war on the quality of education and evaluate two more WB supported projects namely the Teacher Education and Teacher Deployment Project and the General Education 11 Project in Jaffna. Dr.Todorova said the mission noted the lack of adequate teachers with a ratio of one teacher for 23 students at present. The need for improved monitoring of activities by the government implementing agencies to ensure the disbursement of funds for the delivery of text books ,the training of teachers and providing essential items for schools in the Jaffna district are essential ,she said. The mission has also noted the decline in the incidence of malaria in the peninsula mainly due to the anti-malaria campaigns carried out by the Ministry of Health under a WB supported initiative. Dr Todorova said the Bank is prepared to support the financing of a cancer treatment unit in the peninsula which up to now lacks any cancer treatment facility in Jaffna. The Legal and Judicial Reforms Project funded by the Bank is to reconstruct the Court Complex in Jaffna which is part of the project to improve 25 Court complexes in the country. This will improve case load management and enhance access of judges and lawyers to modern judicial literature said Dr.Todorova. |
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