Agriculture uplift - imperative for development - Minister Devananda

Top priorty should be given to development of agriculture and livestock resource development in the Northern province, said Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda at the Vadamarachchi east development council meeting, on June 16.

He instructed officials in charge of the reconstruction of tanks in Vadamarachchi Divisional Secretariat Division to attend to the reconstruction work for which allocation of funds has been made.

He instructed officials to support farmers to develop of agriculture in the area.

The meeting was headed by Jaffna District EPDP Member of Parliament and chairman of Vadamarachchi East development Council Silvestri Alantin (Udayan). The minister looking into the Development project proposals submitted individually, instructed the officials to speed up work pertaining to education, health, agriculture, livestock, irrigation, supply of electricity and land.

Paying special attention to the education aspect, the minister instructed officials to finish reconstruction of school buildings destroyed during the war, immediately and to provide all facilities required by pre-schools, emphasizing the provision of drinking water to all schools by the Pradeshiya Sabhasecretary .

Many demands were made by the people present; chief among them was attachment of an additional Medical Officer to Maruthankeni Hospital.

The minister instructed Provincial Health authorities to meet with the request made by the people. The minister while informing the people that trained medical assistants would be put into service in the coming week, instructed the divisional secretary to make arrangements to renovate the Manmunai Ayurveda Hospital and re-open it for the public.

He also instructed Road Development Authority officials to re-habilitate all roads in the area.

He also assured that in two to three months, electricity would be provided to the whole area.