Rural road network upgraded

Irangika Range

The government has allocated Rs 6,000 million to upgrade the rural road network across the country under the Gama Neguma project this year. Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kothalawala told the Daily News that all village roads will be relaid with concrete as pledged in the Mahinda Chintana , under Gama Neguma with the objective of developing every village with all facilities.

A sum of over Rs.1,000 million has been allocated for rural road development this year, more than in the previous year, he said.

It is for the first time in history that the government has allocated such a colossal amount of money for rural road development," he added. "We use the interlocking concrete block paving technique recommended by experts to concrete the rural roads," he said.

The Highways Ministry has embarked on a massive rural road development programme which has been neglected for decades without maintenance and rehabilitation.

Most rural roads have been used as footpaths or cart tracks.

Hence there is a need to redesign selected rural roads to cater to the developing needs and rehabilitate them to provide better connectivity to rural areas.

"We want the rural Sri Lankan community served with reliable road access to each household comparable to the highly developed road network maintained in developed countries," he said.

Improved transport infrastructure will enhance communication facilities and improve economic and social standards of the people. The government started the Maga Neguma programme to widen and concrete rural roads which were earlier confined to the main road network. Bridges and culverts are renovated and reconstructed under this programme.

The Maga Neguma Rural Road Development Programme was initiated in 2004 when President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Prime Minister and Highways Minister.

Under this programme, most of rural roads have been improved to motorable level through the direct labour of the Road Development Authority (RDA) or with the participation of the Community Based Organizations which would thereby uplift the living standards of the rural community.

For the past five years, the state investment on the rural road development has rapidly increased recording Rs.4,000 million in 2008, Rs.3,000 million in 2009, Rs.3,000 million in 2010, Rs.3,640 million in 2011 and Rs.5,000 million in 2012.