Sri Lanka spends Rs. 425 billion for North East development

Sri Lanka has spent r 425 billion rupees during the last five years for the reconstruction and development of the Northern and Eastern provinces, the government said today. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development Nihal Somaweera says
the government had set aside 425 billion rupees for the reconstruction activities in the Northern and Eastern provinces from the year 2006 to 2011. The government has spent a large portion of the money for resettlement, de-mining, reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure including the water reservoirs, and for the welfare activities. According to the Additional Secretary, 95 percent of the reconstruction activities in the two provinces had been completed. The Indian government as well as non-governmental organizations has extended aid for housing projects in the war-torn area. Soon after the Eastern Province was freed from the terrorist control all infrastructure facilities in the Eastern Province had been restored in all three districts of the Province under the Nagenahira Navodaya (Eastern Awakening) Programme. Following the defeat of the Tamil Tiger terrorists in May 2009, the government has initiated the Uthuru Wasanthaya (Northern Spring), a mega development drive, to develop the five districts of the Northern Province - Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullativu, Vavuniya and Mannar to be in par with the other cities in the country. The government held provincial elections for the Eastern Province Council in March 2008 after a lapse of 14 years and since then a massive development has been taken place, according to the Assistant Secretary. The Economic Development Ministry housing project was implemented in the Northern Province in 2006 and completed in 2011. The government has also helped the war affected communities' livelihood and cultivated paddy, vegetables and fruit in a large area and taken measures to increase milk production in the North and East provinces, the Additional Secretary said.