Civil administration project completed at reduced cost

Shirley Wijesinghe

A project which commenced with Rs. 780 million funds provided by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to empower the civil administration of District and Divisional Secretariats in tsunami-hit areas was completed for only Rs. 511 million, said Additional Secretary of the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry G. Hettiarachchi. Thus 35 per cent of the estimated cost has been saved.

As the project scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2008 was accomplished earlier the project has been extended till June 30, 2009 to utilise balance Rs. 268 million.

The key activities of the project were construction or reconstruction of administrative infrastructure facilities, supplying of vehicles and office equipment to the demarkated area.

Construction of administrative infrastructure facilities in Amparai, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Mullaithivu and Trincomalee District Secretariats and Ampara, Sainthamaruthu, Thirukkovil, Vakarai, Karinagar, Tangalle, Matara, Ambalangoda, Balapitiya, Hikkaduwa, Jaffna, Hambantota and Matara Divisional Secretariats were aimed.

Model offices with Sewa Piyasa will be constructed for every District Secretariat shortly, Additional Secretary Hettiarachchi said.

Proposals for official quarters for Government employees in the Eastern Provinces will be accepted, Hettiarachchi has drawn the attention of Secretaries in building adequate official quarters for public employees who wish to serve in this area despite several hardships.

Hettiarachchi said project monitoring has been decentralised to cut down the administration project fee which now costs less than one per cent.