Roads to prosperity in the East

Mohammed Naalir

The Eastern province was praised for its natural beauty before terrorism emerged. This region was best known for agriculture and fishing sectors, being one of the prominent agricultural districts in the country.

Terrorism disrupted the development of the East and its future turned into a question mark due to terrorism.

The Government is now rebuilding the entire province after it was liberated from the control of LTTE.

Devastated

Infrastructure and human resources were totally devastated by terrorism. Children were forcibly recruited by the LTTE as child soldiers to expand its terrorist activities throughout the region.

Development activities was paralysed and the province became a neglected province. The province which was rich in natural resources and self sufficient in agriculture and other important sectors become famous for landmines and death and destruction.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Government faced an immense challenge soon after liberating the province from the control of LTTE. The Government achieved a great victory in implementing, commencing and completing infrastructure development in the entire province for the sake of the innocent community who experienced terrorism for decades.

The Government has invested billions of rupees with the participation of the international community to develop the province and to assure a fruitful life for the Eastern community.

Massive development projects are on to develop agriculture, roads, fisheries, health, social services and other important sectors.

Since the Government restored peace and prosperity in the province the innocent Eastern community is enjoying democracy which was suppressed by terrorism for decades.

Agriculture-The Eastern province is a large agricultural province.

There are 1.5 million agricultural workers in the Eastern province.

The estimated paddy production in Ampara district was 5,00,859 metric tonnes in 2007.

The Agriculture land area in Batticaloa district is 85,159 hectares and estimated paddy production was 86,037 metric tonnes.

The Department of Agriculture implemented various programmes in the Batticaloa District. The Department has spent Rs. 0.6 million to establish fruit villages, Rs. 0.25 million to enhance the productivity and Rs. 0.83 million to uplift the living standards of the farmers in Ampara District.

The financial requirements for year 2008, 2009 and 2010 are respectively Rs. 4.06 million, Rs. 5.85 million and Rs. 6.85 million to establish a granary area, to strengthen small farmer groups, to establish fruit crop zoning and to implement national food drive.

The Government has allocated Rs. 3.078 million for the programme.

Paddy production

The Trincomalee district consists 55, 497 hectares land area, an asweddumised extent of paddy land 29,908 hectares and estimated paddy production was 105,409 metric tonnes in 2007.

The Government has allocated Rs. 0.017 million, Rs. 0.37 million, Rs. 0.025 million and Rs. 0.81 million respectively to establish resource centres, to enhance the productivity of lands to strengthen the farmer group and to establish fruit villages in 2007.

The proposed programmes for 2008 to 2010 are to cultivate maize and other field crops (example pulses, oil seeds and condiments), expand the extent of agriculture land area and to increase the productivity, to introduce micro irrigation/processing facilities, encourage quality seed production and use, arrange sale facilities for farmers, to establish villages for banana, mango, pineapple and lime, to establish a commercial plant nursery, to introduce new technologies example post harvest and irrigation, empower producer societies and to construct new offices and quarters.

Rehabilitation

The Government has allocated Rs. 20 million and Rs. 2.6 million respectively for the rehabilitation of minor tanks. Twenty two minor tanks will be renovated at a cost of Rs. 25 million from 2008 to 2010 while repairing 10 agriculture centres at a cost of Rs. 10 million and renovating 10 km of agricultural roads at a cost of Rs 0.8 million.

Home garden development programmes too will be implemented for the sake of the agriculture sector and to improve the economic condition of the farmers.

Financial requirements for the development programmes are Rs.69.2 million, Rs. 55 million and Rs. 41 million for year 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively.

It is aimed to facilitate rapid economic development, to provide accessories to rural communities to social and economic centres and to link producers in the Ampara district to other districts and urban markets.

Several issues have been identified so far in the development of roads, insufficient road maintenance, poor connectivity within and to other districts due to bad conditions of the roads, delayed road rehabilitation and improvement work and poor contribution to the economy due to not having a proper infrastructure facilities.

Rupees 7,652.2 million was allocated by the Government for road development excluding highways in 2007. This represents 22 per cent out of the total national allocation.

Developments

The Siyamabalanduwa-Ampara-Karathivu road at a cost of Rs. 1,282 million, Siyamabalanduwa-Pottuvil-Akkarapattu road at a cost of Rs. 2700 million and Pottuvil-Panama road at a cost of Rs. 500, Akkarapatthu-Sangaman road at a cost of Rs.424.3 million, Panama-Kumbukkana road at a cost of Rs.57 million, Ambilanthurai-Weeramunai road at a cost of Rs. 641 million, Akkarapattu-Batticaloa-Thirukkondiadimadu road and Kallady Bridge at a cost of Rs. 5125 million are progressing.

The Arugambay bridge will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1081 million.

The Ampara-Inginiyagala road at a cost of Rs.979 million, Ampara-Uhana-Maha Oya Road at a cost of Rs. 1170 million, Padiyathalawa-Maha Oya road at a cost of Rs.1170 million, Padiyathalawa-Mahiyangana road at a cost of Rs.1457 million and Mahiyangana-Dimbulagala-Dalukanna road at a cost of Rs.1814 million will be completed within coming three years.

The Trincomalee-thirukkndiadimadu road at a cost of Rs.3,452 million, Mavadichchanai-kaddaiparichchanchena road at a cost of Rs.390 million, Alla-Kanthale road at a cost of Rs.1,088 million, Trincomalee-Pulmode road at a cost of Rs.1,203.9 million, Bogaha Handiya-Pulmode road at a cost of Rs.450 million, Habarana-Trincomalee road at acost of Rs.4340 million Thambalagamuwa-kinniya road at a cost of Rs.413 million, outer Circular highway-Trincomalee at a cost of Rs. 10,500 million, Pamathoppu-Seruwila road at a cost of Rs.27.8 million too will be completed.

The Irakkandy, Podavaikkadu and Yan Oya bridges will be completed at a cost of Rs. 2672 million. The Gangai bridge and causeway Upparu bridge and causeway, Upparu bridge and causeway and Iralkuli bridge will be constructed with French financial contributions.

The Trincomalee-Anuradhapura road will be developed at a cost Rs. 5600 million. The Government launched several projects such as the construction of three fishery harbours, six anchorages, improvement work on 17 fish landing sites, provision of ice Plants and cold rooms , construction of fish retail outlets, establishment of Idhiwara fisheries Banks, Provision of multi day boats and 3.5 ton one day boats, development of culture bassed fisheries in Perennial tanks and seasonal tanks, establishment of community bassed mini-hatcheries, strengthening of fisheries Co-operative societies and alternative income generating opportunities through FCSs for the benefit of fishing community in the province.

Fisheries harbour

The Valachchanai Fisheries harbour at a cost of Rs.255 million, Oluvil Fisheries harbour at a cost of Rs.5408 million and Podawakattu Fisheries Harbour at a cost of Rs. 230 million will be completed.

The Palachchanai and Panichchankeny (Vakarai) anchorages at a cost of Rs.20 million, Sainthamaruthu, Ninthaur anchorages at a cost of Rs.60 million and Kinniya Muttur anchorage at acost of Rs 18 million were completed.

The Kathiraweli, Kandal Adi, Kayankerni and Oddamawadi landing sites at a cost of Rs.40 million, Panama, Addalachchanai, Vinayagapuram and Komari Ulla at a cost of Rs.30 million and Jinnapuram, Veeranagar, Vaddam, Faizal Nagar, Naduthivu, Jayanagar, Kullawadiya and Sampura-China Bay at a cost of Rs. 40 million were improved.

Fisheries Bank

Cold rooms to Vakarai-Kaluwankurni at a cost of Rs.11.25 million, Panichchankerni at a cost of Rs. 10 million, Sainthamaruthu, Sinnappalamunai cold room at a cost of Rs. 84 million and Cod-bay cold room at a cost of Rs.46 million were constructed.

Rs. 1905 million to Kathiraweli, Vakarai and Valachchanai Idhiwara Fisheries Bank, Rs. 269 million to Ninthaur, Sainthamaruthu and Kalmunai Idhiwara Fisheries Bank and Rs.4095 million to Thoppur, Weeranagar, Nadathivu, Pulmudai, Bhathiyagama and Town and Gravis Idhiwara Fisheries Bank were allocated.

The construction of 22 fisheries outlets at a cost of Rs. 2.2 million in Batticaloa district, Kalmunai, Sainthamaruthu, pottuwil, panama and Thirukkovil Fisheries outlet at a cost of Rs.1.5 million and 12 fisheries outlets at a cost of Rs. 1.2 million elsewhere in the province were also completed on schedule.