Moves underway to revive war-hit Karainagar boatyard
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development has
undertaken the challenge of developing Karainagar boatyard in Jaffna,
which was destroyed by the LTTE.
This is in conformity with the government's action plan to develop
the Northern Province on fast track, said Fisheries Ministry Secretary
Dr Damitha de Soyza yesterday.
Dr Soyza said the Fisheries Ministry has taken over the ownership and
the supervision of Karainagar boatyard from the control of the Ministry
of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, by Cabinet
approval from Monday.
"We claimed the ownership of Krainagar boatyard in exchange of our
Lunuwila and Weerawila fish net factories to the Ministry of Traditional
Industries," she explained.
An MoU regarding this was signed between Traditional Industries and
Small Enterprise Ministry's North Sea Ltd chairman Armugam Paranthaman
and Ceynor Foundation chairman Kumara de Silva on October 10, Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Rajitha Senaratne and
Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas
Devananda were also present.
Asked what they plan to do with the boatyard and its benefits to the
public, Dr Soyza said the ministry will diversify the production of
boats in due course for purposes of fisheries and tourism and Karainagar
facility will be used to manufacture the boats.
The boatyard is expected to generate over 2,000 jobs, which will be
given among the youth in the area, she said. As pointed out by
Traditional Industries Ministry Secretary V Sivagnanasothi, the North
Sea Ltd, which is a Treasury owned company, will be able to generate
income while benefiting the fishermen in the North as with their
acquisition of Lunuwila and Weerawila fishing-net factories. " There is
a demand for 5,000 metric tonnes of fishing nets in the North," he said.
He said, 30 percent of the country's fishing-nets comes as imports. "
We will be able to save a considerable amount of foreign exchange by
increasing the production of fishing-nets, " he said.
The Indian government has granted Rs 152 million to develop and
modernize the infrastructure of North Sea Ltd, Sivagnanasothi added.
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