NESTIP to facilitate N-E reconstruction:

Govt to launch largest development project

Rafik Jalaldeen

The Government will launch the largest development project at Local Authority level in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces next month spending US $86 million, Northern Province Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri said.

The Northern and Eastern Local Services Improving Project (NESTIP) will be implemented in the Northern and Eastern Provinces to facilitate reconstruction process. A meeting will be held today to discuss various issues concerning Northern development projects by Governor Chandrasiri and other officials.

He said the projects will come to effect covering all the land areas of Northern and Eastern Provinces on July 15. “The objective of the project is to improve the delivery of local infrastructure services by the Local Authorities in the two provinces in an accountable and responsible manner,” Major General Chandrasiri told the Daily News.

He noted that NESTIP will be launched by the Government with the assistance of World Bank at a cost of US $86 million. The World Bank will fund US $50 million while the Government provides US $34 million and local labour worth US $2 million over a period of five years.

The Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas in the North and East will be benefited by this project.

The proposed Northern Province development areas in Jaffna are (three UCs, 13 PCs and an MC), Kilinochchi (three PS), Mullaitivu (three PS), Vavuniya (a UC and four PS) and Mannar (a UC and four PS).