Funds for N-E only to Govt - Donor agencies

by Chamikara Weerasinghe

The international donor agencies will channel their funds through Sri Lankan Government for development programmes in the North and East regardless of the agencies' meetings with LTTE cadres to discuss the progress of their projects on occasional basis.

The Country Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Alessandro Pio who is expected to meet LTTE cadres in Kilinochchi today with the team comprising representatives from the World Bank, ADB, UNDP and IMF, told the Daily News yesterday that their organisations will channel funds through the Government to carry out all development projects and tsunami reconstruction programmes in the North and East.

The team which will visit Killinochchi comprises the World Bank's country representative Peter Harrold, UNDP representative Jeff Taft-dick, ADB country director Alessandro Pio and IMF representative Louis Veldivisso.

The meeting will focus on the on-going development projects and tsunami reconstruction activities in the North and East, the country director of Asian Development Bank, Alessandro Pio told the Daily News.

Alessandro said: "The team's visit to Kilinochchi will be a usual visit, and it is envisioned to get an insight on how their current development projects are faring in the North and East."

Pio said that the team would meet LTTE cadres in Kilinochchi . " But we do not know who they will be," he said. "This is going to be just a regular visit by us to inspect our health centres, the situation of schools, and our irrigation projects," he said.

"We have informed the Government about it."

"However , we know that a lot of criticism has been levelled against us for meeting the LTTE. It has raised reservations among certain political groups," he said.

"The visit may seem controversial to some at this point of time in the backdrop of current political situation," he said.

Asked why they should discuss their development programmes with the LTTE when there is the government , Pio said , " I can understand the point of view. It is important to see more people talking to each other than to see people not talking to each other," he said.

"Besides I'd rather downplay with a problem than to play it up," he said.