More funds for Provincial road rehabilitation

President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Finance and Planning Minister has presented two Cabinet memorandums regarding the development of provincial transport facilities, said Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa at a media briefing to announce Cabinet decisions yesterday. One of them includes the funding of Rs.12 billion by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for the implementation of the proposed Provincial Roads Project.

The objective of the project is to upgrade and rehabilitate 200km of provincial roads in the Uva Province and 100 km of provincial roads in the Ampara District in the Eastern Province. The Government expects to provide easy access to social and economic activities in the Eastern and Uva Provinces,through this.

"The project will commence this month and is expected to be completed in September 2014," he stated.

The bank credit has a grace period of 10 years and is repayable in 20 years.

The Asian Development Bank will also provide USD 70 million financial assistance for the road project of Eastern and North Central Provinces.

Rehabilitation of 150 km of provincial roads in the Eastern Province and 220km of provincial roads in the North Central Province is the proposed aim of this project.

Constructing of road pavements, bridges, drainage and replacing culverts will also include in this process.

(nsw & dmm)