Special attention will be given in the forthcoming Budget towards the development of rural roads, the provision of drinking water and resolving waste management issues, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated.
The President made these remarks while attending the Special District Coordination Committee Meeting held at the Batticaloa District Secretariat.
During the meeting, President Dissanayake instructed public representatives and community members to jointly discuss and submit a report on the water supply projects required to meet the drinking, irrigation and industrial water needs of the Batticaloa District, according to a statement issued by the President’s Media Division. He further stated that officials, including the Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, would be sent to the area to hold discussions on the matter.
The President also instructed officials to implement immediate temporary measures to address the drinking water issue faced by the public until the proposed large-scale projects are completed.
In addition, President Dissanayake stated that the Government would allocate the necessary funds for all projects planned thus far by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. Special attention was also drawn to the progress of road and bridge construction projects in the district and the challenges encountered in their implementation, the PMD noted.
The President instructed officials to commence construction work on all planned roads within this year. Extensive discussions were held regarding land-related issues in the district, problems arising in relation to cultivated lands located within wildlife zones and possible solutions to those matters.
Attention was also drawn to the long-standing request of dairy farmers concerning the Mailaththamadu–Madhavanai grazing lands. The meeting also discussed measures being taken to fully develop the Valaichchenai Harbour, which serves as a key centre for the fishing industry in the Eastern Province, including the need for a lighthouse facility.
The preparedness measures for flood control in the district, the progress and challenges related to projects aimed at mitigating human-elephant conflict, and the progress of projects to improve healthcare facilities in the district were also reviewed during the meeting, according to the PMD.
The President further inquired into the progress of the compensation programme for cultivated lands damaged by cyclone Ditwah, compensation payments for damaged houses, and the programme for the construction of new houses, while instructing officials to expedite those activities.
Extensive discussions were also held regarding the implementation and progress of the “Prajashakthi” programme within the Batticaloa District, as well as the challenges encountered in its implementation.
Among those present at the occasion were Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunneththi, Eastern Province Governor Dr. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekara, Members of Parliament Kanthasamy Prabu, S. Rasamanickam, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, G. Srineshan and Elayathamby Srinath, along with public representatives from both the Government and Opposition, Chief of Presidential Staff and Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Sampath Thuyacontha, Batticaloa District Secretary Arul Raj, government officials and representatives of the security forces.
