US dollars 30 m for projects in Ampara - US Ambassador

Phakurdeen, Addalaichenai correspondent

ADDALAICHENAI: Ambassador of the United States of America Robert O. Blake Jr undertook a two-day tour of Ampara district to assess the progress of the projects implemented by USAID in various parts of the district.

Ambassador Robert O. Blake accompanied by the Counsellor for Press and Cultural Affairs Terry J. White, USAID's Regional Programme Manager, Ampara, Bill Barkle and Embassy officails first visited Pottuvil and inspected the reconstruction work of the Arugam Bay bridge destroyed by tsunami on Thursday.

Ambassador on Friday declared open the children's recreation site at Akkaraipattu Ayesha Bhalika Maha Vidyalaya and thereafter visited the village of Oluvil where various livelihood projects are undertaken by the villagers.

He talked to the villagers in a free and cordial manner and assessed their progress. The next itinerary in the agenda was meeting with INGOs. NGOs and Government officials at Sainthamaruthu Sea Breeze Hotel where various things were discussed at length.

Finally the Ambassador met the journalists representing all three communities at Ampara USAID office and spoke briefly on the activities of USAID in Sri Lanka and Ampara district in particular. He revealed that 30 million US dollars has been set apart by US to go head with the development projects in various parts of the Ampara district.

Answering a question raised by a journalist, Blake said that he would urge the Government to appoint an Independent Commission to inquire into the assassinations of politicians that are taking place in Sri Lanka.