Jaffna development process fast tracked

Action has been taken to fast track the development process in the Jaffna district on the President’s instructions, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The minister who is also the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Jaffna development said so during a visit to Jaffna on Saturday to obtain feed back from the civilian community on the development work in the Northern peninsula.

“The government has been able to bring normality to the north due to fast tracking of development programmes soon after the defeat of terrorism.

During the last three decades due to terrorism, people in the north and east were subjected to severe hardship. People belonging to other communities and those living in other parts of the country, too suffered due to terrorism. But, it is a known fact that the people in the north were the most affected due to terrorism,” he said. The minister accompanied by Traditional Industries Minister Douglas Devananda and Northern Province governor G A Chandrasiri met the Jaffna civilian population at Saraswathi Hall in Jaffna.

A large number of people from various community development organizations, rural development organizations representing Divisional Secretariat’s in the Jaffna mainland and islands submitted details of the common needs that warranted immediate intervention of the Presidential Task Force for implementation.

Over 100 persons requested Minister Rajapaksa to look into the immediate needs of their areas.

Provisions of drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, sanitary facilities, reconstruction of roads and infrastructural facilities to the areas where IDPs have been resettled are some of the problems which the people wanted immediate action from the ministerial team.

“Ninety percent of the resettlement process is over and the rest would be completed no sooner the demining process is completed in the north. Almost all IDPs have been resettled and the livelihood and other basic facilities have been provided with granting of cash installments for resettlement in Jaffna,” he said.

The minister said that in the past, Jaffna was the best district in the country which had the best educational facilities in the Advanced Level science stream while several other districts in the south did not have such facilities. Students from far away places like Anuradhapura and Kurunegala had studied in Jaffna. Likewise Jaffna had produced a large number of engineers but unfortunately, up to now the Jaffna University has not got an Engineering Faculty, Rajapaksa said

“The President has decided to set up an Engineering Faculty in the north attached to Jaffna University,” the minister said.

The minister also said that the three decade war had deprived the people of the north many a facilities previously enjoyed by them.

The railway line - the - Yal Devi train was one such facility that made the people to people contact between the north and the south. Roadways, bridges and various other common amenities were destroyed by the LTTE during this period. The TNA which acted as the agent of LTTE accepting them as the sole representatives of the Tamils is repeating the same mistake that was committed by the LTTE in a different manner, he said. The minister reminding the people of the atrocities committed by the TNA against the people of North, said that when the government had plans of a project of an IT - park in the pipeline to set up in Jaffna with the assistance of USAID, the TNA petitioned the US Senate and blocked the facility being offered to the people of North.

“The TNA is not worried about the people of Jaffna or their grievances. Most of the time they live abroad and their kith and kin are studying abroad. During the time of elections they come and engage in inciting the feelings of innocent civilians,” Rajapaksa said.

The minister requested the people not to be deceived by these mischievous elements who have brought no good for the people of North.

Minister Rajapaksa added that the President, Parliament, Provincial councils and even the local government institutions are governed by one party led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. People who have extended their support through all these establishments enjoy the benefits of dividends, he said.

There were instances of development work being hampered at grass root level when the Local government authorities are governed by a party not represented at national level. Therefore, the minister requested the people of north to take extra precautions when electing members for their local government bodies on July 23 as it may otherwise reverse fast track development programmes undertaken in the entire north for the benefit of the community.

Rajapaksa said the Presidential Task Force under his leadership has been able to carry out these developments because of President Mahinda Rajapaksa brought peace to the entire nation and this had paved the way for resettlement of the people who otherwise would still have been in displaced camps.