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| Tuesday, 18 January 2005 |
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by Ranil Wijayapala President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday presented the Action Plan for Rebuilding the Nation encompassing detailed plans to construct 15 new townships in the tsunami affected Southern and Eastern coasts of the country with better and modern infrastructure. President Kumaratunga presented the action plan for rebuilding the nation before the High Level Committee for Disaster Management comprising Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and heads of political parties represented in Parliament, at the Presidential Secretariat. President Kumaratunga on Sunday declared that the reconstruction process will be inaugurated on January 19 at Hambantota after laying the foundation for the construction of housing schemes for the tsunami affected people in the district. The President has given specific instructions to start all projects within this month for rapid completion. The Action Plan compiled by the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation with inputs by respective Ministries was explained to party leaders by the TAFREN Chairman and Presidential Advisor Mano Tittawella. The action plan for rebuilding the nation envisages plans for the reconstruction and replanning of roads, rail tracks, bus transport, electricity, water supply and sanitation, telecom services, ports, education sector, health sector, social services, housing and township development, industrial sector, tourism, environment and judicial institutes. The action plan will be implemented after taking into consideration the valuable suggestions and inputs of all stakeholders such as religious and political leaders, members of the civil society and NGOs. Tittawella told the party leaders that the action plan will be implemented in three phases- emergency repairs, rehabilitation and reconstruction and improvement and modernisation. The implementation of the action plan in three phases is estimated to cost US $ 3,484 million, Tittawella told the party leaders. He pointed out that the existing projects to provide electricity, water and other infrastructure facilities with budgetary allocations can be re-planned for the tsunami affected areas without using funds set apart to rebuild the tsunami affected areas. He said 12 large towns, 20 medium towns and 30 small towns are to be reconstructed along the tsunami affected coastal belt. The action plan also includes post tsunami assistance for the affected people such as a start up allowance of Rs.5000 per family on presenting the tsunami relief coupon to any People's Bank branch. It also calls for the reconstruction of partly damaged houses if located in safe areas with government assistance, provision of free books, uniform materials and shoes for schoolchildren. Electricity, telephone, water bills will be written off for those affected by the tsunami. The action plan also detailed plans to resuscitate the tourism industry by offering BOI concessions for totally destroyed tourist hotels and to provide concessions for cottage industries affected by the tsunami. President Kumaratunga invited all political parties to put forward their suggestions. SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem said that civil society inputs should be included in the second phase of the action plan before being implemented. |
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