Samurdhi IT centres for tsunami-hit areas

Uditha KUMARASINGHE

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority (SLSA) plans to establish three communication centres in three tsunami affected areas to provide IT facilities to the public at concessionary rates.

The SLSA in collaboration with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the Malta Government will set up two of these communication centres in Hambantota and one in Matara before end December this year, SLSA Director General Ravindra Hewavitharana told the Daily News yesterday.

He said Rs.5 million will be spent to establish each communications centre. The Malta Government has pledged to provide the equipment for these centres. The SLSA will provide buildings to set up the centres.

The communication centres will be equipped with all key IT facilities such as Internet, e-mail, telephone, market information and other IT services.

All these IT services will be provided to the public at low rates.

Each of these centres will be established close to the Samurdhi Bank Society in the respective area to provide an opportunity for Samurdhi beneficiary families to obtain these IT facilities, he said.

Arrangements have also been made to provide computer training to youth through these centres.

The SLSA also intends to set up a video unit affiliated to these communication centres to provide important provincial news to the public, he said.

The SLSA will set up these three centres as a pilot project.

Following the success achieved by these projects, the intention of the SLSA is to establish 20 communications centres covering all districts, he said.