Uplift for Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu

Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda, Chairman, Special Task Committee, appointed for Resettlement, Re-habilitation and Developmental activities in the Northern Province, is collecting information to commence accelerated development work for the uplift of the living conditions of the people of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

The Minister has prioritised the development activities stipulated in the 2008 budget proposals as the first stage of development work in the North.

Arrangements will be made to launch programmes concerning humanitarian developmental activities first, and then complete the programmes in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi which are yet to be cleared.

There are 50,201 families with 195,015 members in the Kilinochchi District and 54,187 families with 220,329 members in the Mullaitivu District. No development work has been initiated in these areas for the past 20 years.

Accelerated development projects will be implemented by the Northern Special Task Committee where Minister Devananda is Chairman, for educational activities, health services, rural road development, irrigation, tank renovation, construction of protective walls to prevent sea water inflow, drainage systems, building and house renovations, marketing of agro products, development of fishing industry, supply of electricity, highway development, etc.

The humanitarian development activities include uplift of living conditions of the people in uncleared districts.

The Minister also plans to carry out humanitarian development projects in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.