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| Thursday, 20 November 2003 |
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Continue the peace process for a lasting solution - WB Country Director by P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya The crying need of the nation and its people was for Peace. The opportune climate had come from the L.T.T.E. for the first time with its proposals. Hence, it is incumbent for the President, the Prime Minister and other leaders to arrive at some consensus, compromise and understanding to continue the Peace Process and find a lasting solution, was the view of Peter Harrold, the World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka, who met the Press, after his team's extensive tour of the hill country plantations here. Peter Harrold, who had undertaken this tour for the first time to Nuwara Eliya district said the recent political events in the country appear to have caused a tensed situation, uncertainty amongst the people, particularly with the ongoing peace proposals and whether it will come to a halt. He said the country's economy was in its best, the growth and resources perspectives were on the increase, and the inflation was on a down trend in the recent years. Therefore, the country should continue that the prevailing conditions should go on. The World Bank Chief in Sri Lanka who was accompanied by Dr. Terrence Abeysekara, Senior Economist World Bank, Dr. Naresh Duraiswamy, Senior Operations Manager World Bank in Sri Lanka office visited schools, the Palm Foundations (N.G.O.) Estate Creches, the Nuwara Eliya district Plantation Human Resources Trust, estate workers living lines,and other areas, including the Nuwara Eliya city's development projects, accompanied by Mayor of Nuwara Eliya Chandana Karunaratne, the Deputy Mayor Ponniah Sivarajah, and the Pedro Group of Estates Manager Mr. Rodrigo. The World Bank Country Director said in the sphere of education in the plantation sector and the health conditions with emphasis on drinking water, much had to be done and for which his Bank would give considerations. Regarding the plantation industry, he said it will continue to survive, and with its modern technologies and within another ten or fifteen years, the industry take measures to improve the quality, and living standards of its workforce to fit into this sector, to remain in the estates, with such avenues and job opportunities. He said that World Bank will embark on such avenues and development undertakings, as initiated in the North East, the South and in the plantation sector too. Mayor Chandana Karunaratne, requested that Nuwara Eliya's ancient Power House at Blackpool, which had been abandoned for the past thirty or forty years, should be brought into operation with the World Bank's assistance. |
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