|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 20 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Expedite foreign funded projects - Local Govt. Minister by Uditha Kumarasinghe Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon has instructed Ministry officials to expedite foreign funded projects under the Ministry in all provinces. The Minister has instructed officials to focus more attention on development projects implemented in the North-East with a view to normalising the lives of people battered by war. A large number of projects funded by foreign donor agencies are operated under the Ministry including three major projects in the North-East provinces. They are the North-East Irrigation Agriculture project, the North-East Community Rehabilitation and Development project and the North-East Accelerated Reforms Program, Minister Tennakoon told the Daily News. The Minister, following a meeting with Ministry officials to review the progress of foreign-funded projects has instructed them that all such projects should achieve expected targets by the end of this year. He said: "The prime responsibility of the Ministry is to complete these projects on time to cater to the needs of the public and uplift their living conditions. The implementation of these projects in a systematic manner will help obtain more funds from foreign donor agencies for new development projects." Under the North-East Irrigation Agriculture project, 320 minor irrigation schemes and 1200 Km of roads in war torn areas will be renovated. Three hundred tubewells will be constructed in the North-East areas. He said the World Bank has funded this project due for completion by year 2004. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 2,268 million. The Minister said under the North-East Community Rehabilitation and Development Project, basic service facilities and income generating avenues are provided to the displaced families in the North-East. Under this project, the Asian Development Bank has granted approval for 436 projects which have been estimated at a cost of Rs. 2106 million. This project which commenced in 2002 will be completed by 2006, he said. The North-East Accelerated Rehabilitation Programme has mainly targeted rehabilitation and basic health facilities to the people displaced by war. The estimated cost of this World Bank funded project is Rs.3680 million. This project which commenced last year is expected to be completed by end 2004, the Minister said. He said this project has also assisted the North-East Provincial Council to provide water supplies and institutional strength to conduct long term rehabilitation activities. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
