Two day tour of the peninsula:

PRESIDENT EMPOWERS JAFFNA

* Scheduled to attend several public events

* Will commission 24 MW power plant

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will make a two day tour of the Jaffna peninsula beginning today, where he will participate in religious ceremonies and public events organized by Northern Province Governor G A Chandrasiri. While in Jaffna he will open the Chunnakam Thermal Power Plant - Uthuru Jananee - today, and a new building complex for the Jaffna Teaching Hospital tomorrow.

The President will ceremonially open the new power plant on the invitation of Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

Governor Chandrasiri said the Power Plant with a 24MW capacity will ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the people of Jaffna which will bring about a change in the lives of the people of the North.

The President is scheduled to preside over the District Development Special Meeting along with Ministers Basil Rajapaksa who heads the Presidential Task Force on Northern Development and Minister Douglas Devananda.

This meeting will be held at the Jaffna Tilko Hotel.

President Rajapaksa will also attend religious ceremonies at Nainathivu Nagapoosani Amman Hindu Kovil and Nagadeepa Temple today. On his way to Nagadeepa the President will open the pier built by the Navy making it easy for the pilgrims to visit the Nagadeepa temple.

On Wednesday President Rajapaksa will open the new wing of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital constructed at a cost of Rs 2,600 million and funded by JAICA.

This will have all the modern facilities to meet the requirements of the patients. The facilities include ICU unit, Operation Theatre, Scanning Unit and Laboratory. The facilities will help improve the healthcare of the Northern People, Chandrasiri added.