Instead of military hardware:

Development takes over Jaffna

Lakshmi de Silva

Jaffna fishermen resume their dry fish trade

Jaffna farmers happy with their products. Pictures: Sudam Gunasinghe

Our armed forces that protected the motherland and defeated the world’s most ruthless terrorist group are now moving forward with the development projects in the country, especially in the North and East, senior official sources said.

The guns are now silenced, instead development machinery has now taken the place of military hardware, tanks and the guns and the army personnel are now moving ahead with the government’s agenda in helping the people in the war ravaged areas to restart their normal lives and work for their future prosperity.

Resettlement program

With a clear foresight President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the Special Presidential Task Force to implement the crash rehabilitation and resettlement program and accorded the highest priority to ameliorate the people of the north who had suffered immensely under the jackboot of the LTTE terrorist group for the past three decades.

Six months after the defeat of the terrorist group and for the first time in three decades the people of the north are living with hopes for their future. On the visits to the north one could see the smiles on the children’s faces while their parents or the elderly people relate the stories of the anguish they had undergone with no hope for the future.

Today they are a free people once again and are appreciating the efforts made by the government for development of their hometowns. The armed forces are playing a vital role in this endeavour. Though there are several international organizations working in the de-mining operations in the five districts it was the army that was more capable in this area.

They are doing it faster than the other organizations. Yet the UN initiative to educate the people in the relief camps about the mine risk had reduced the number of casualties to a considerable extent. During and after the period of the war landmines had caused severe injuries to people. Land mines victimized the unarmed civilians and even animals like cattle or goats in the war torn north and east.

These were scattered across villages, farmlands and even jungle areas by the terrorists when they were fleeing during the humanitarian operations of the forces.

The government accorded a high priority to people’s safety and imported machines to expedite the de-mining process. It is both a time consuming and dangerous process. It was easy to fix a land mine which cost only about three dollars. But it cost around 300 dollars to remove one such deadly device the officials explained.

During the past three decades the LTTE had laid explosive devices all over the Northern region but now the government along with the International Organizations had cleared some areas so that the residents of these areas who were displaced due to terrorist activities could go back to their original hometowns and restart their livelihood, they said.

Road development

Back to school

The Presidential Special Task Force headed by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP was implementing the Vaddikkin Wasantham rehabilitation program also had used the equipment and machinery provided by many donor countries and other INGOs to develop the area in numerous sectors such as road development, irrigation, agriculture and other activities. Many reservoirs in the Vavuniya District including the Yodha Wewa (Giant’s reservoir) Mamadukulam, Nappamkulam, Thoniayamkulam, Ahiththamuruppu, Pavattakulam, Valikkuaru and Iranamadu Kilinochchi were renovated with the participation of the army and the people of the area so that already 24,438 acres had come under the plough during the past few months, they further said.

Drinking water

Small and major irrigation schemes were renovated while the jungle areas were cleared and prepared to start new farmlands with the participation of the army help.

The Nation Building Ministry also had undertaken a drinking water well cleaning program and renovating wells in the region and digging tube wells when necessary and providing drinking water to the needy with the assistance from the army and Non governmental organizations and the relevant line ministries was also among the services provided to the people of the north.

Safe environment and safe drinking water were two major areas and the livelihood for the farmers and fisherfolk were the other areas that the Nation Building Ministry was taking care of, officials said.

Fishing gear for the fisher families and the agricultural equipment, seed paddy, and seedlings to farmers to start their lives in their villages were provided by the Nation Building Ministry under the Uthuru Wasanthaya program.

New settlers were given backyard poultry and to improve the inland fishery fish finger lings were put into their new inland tanks and reservoirs.

Luxuriant paddy field

Civil administration in all the areas was now functioning smoothly while the public health sector facilities too were given a high priority.

Almost all the schools in the war ravaged areas were renovated and necessary facilities to the students too were provided with the help of donors and the education ministry.

Cooperatives, agrarian service centers, post offices, banks and health clinics too were built to provide essential services to the people in the areas.

New roads and railway lines connecting the Northern area would be a strong development indicator bringing in local and foreign tourists and investors to the area and Mankulam would be a major tourist centre in the future.

The World Bank, the ADB, and other donor countries had provided assistance to rebuild after the destruction of war and the people of the area too are now contributing with their labour to build roads and other public utilities.

Maga Neguma brings out community participation in development

Cost Rs. 3,720 Million,

The Mega Neguma Program is an islandwide program that aims to increase rural accessibility by utilizing resources that are mobilized through beneficiary community participation. It intends to achieve a high level of returns with minimum expenditure and open up avenues for the rural population to enjoy the benefits of major road and other infrastructure development programs.

Community Water Supply & Sanitation Project in Year 2009

Cost Rs.8085 Million,

The project aims to improve the living conditions of rural communities by increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities and promoting improved hygiene practices.

This project has two components:

Second Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project covering 826 GN Divisions in the Districts of Matale, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Kurunegala.

Reactivated Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project II Covering 609 GN Divisions in the Districts of Badulla, Matara, Ratnapura, Colombo, Gampaha, Anuradhapura and Hambantota.

Rehabilitation and Improvement of 10,000 Minor Irrigation Schemes Year 2010.

Cost Rs.3431 Million, The main objective of this project is to redevelop the rural economy by developing water resources in the small tank system in river basins of Sri Lanka. The program includes improvement and restoration of 10,000 small tanks and anicuts.

Among the multiple uses, the increase in crop and livestock production, provision of adequate water for drinking and bathing, improving recharging capacity of ground water and the enhancement of the micro climate are considered to be most important.

Rural Electrification Phase 8, 9, and 10 in Year 2010

Cost Rs.10,800 Million

The project consists of three sub-projects designed to provide electricity to villages that currently have no access to the existing electricity distribution system. The project will aim to expand the distribution network in rural areas and develop technical facilities related to the distribution network.

1. Rural electrification Project Phase 8 Rs.3165 Million

227 rural electrification schemes will be implemented in the Eastern, Northern, Uva and North-Central Provinces. 227 sub-stations, 507 km Mv line and 1,156 km Lv lines will be constructed under this project. It is also expected to construct 100 km 33 Kv supply lines.

2. Rural electrification Project phase 9 Rs. 1,700 Million

250 rural electrification schemes will be constructed throughout the country. 250 sub-stations, 125 km Mv lines and 1500 km Lv lines will be constructed.

3. Rural electrification Project phase 10 Rs.5,935 Million

650 rural electrification schemes will be established throughout the country. 650 sub-stations, 1,300 km Mv lines and 3250 km Lv lines will be constructed

Jana Sevana Housing Program Year 2012

Cost Rs.10000 Million,

The objective of this program is to create a home owning society with access to safe, decent and affordable houses in the rural sector. The program aims to construct 25 houses in each village at the rate of 15,000 housing units per year during 2006-2012.

The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) is responsible for implementing the projects and each eligible family is entitled to obtain a housing loan with the maximum amount of Rs.100,000/=.

The beneficiaries are assisted by the NHDA by way of providing technical assistance for the preparation of housing plans and application of low cost technology and the construction of houses is based on the aided self-help principle.

Key components:

*Construction of 100,000 housing units in 4,000 villages identified under the Gama Neguma/Jathika Saviya Program

Provision of concessionary loans maximum amount Rs.100000/- for new construction and Rs.50000/- for improvements

*Promotion of low cost technology

*Selection of beneficiary families through severe and transparent screening process.