Army will help rebuilding - Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP

Like our Army saved the Tamil people from terrorism they will also rebuild their settlements with irrigation tanks , irrigation ducts and roads to a better standard than they ever existed before said Uthuru Vasanthaya Project Chairman and Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP at a ceremony handing over 101 heavy construction equipment to the Army to rebuild the Northern Province infrastructure easing the rapid development and resettlement of IDP's in welfare centres.

The equipment imported from the People's Republic of China under the sponsorship of the Ambassador for the People's Republic of China Yang Xiuping also marked the 60th anniversary of China. The Galle Face Green where the ceremony was held was decked with the yellow star spangled red flags of China. Read more ...

Sri Lanka: Japan helps welfare centres

The Japanese government will provide assistance for the provision of drinking water supply equipment and a septate treatment plant to welfare centres for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North.

Japanese Ambassador Kunio Takahashi handed over the relevant Note Verbal to Water Supply and Drainage Minister A.L.M. Athaullah.

The Project which has materialized consequent to a request made by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB) to the Japanese Embassy on the instruction of Minister A.L.M. Athaullah, will meet immediate requirements of safe drinking water and improvement of sanitation in welfare centres. Read more...

Sri Lanka Fisheries Ministry to introduce non conventional projects to acquire more aquatic resources in the North

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry of Sri Lanka is to launch non traditional marine resource development projects under the "Uthuru Vasanthaya" accelerated development drive in the North.

The Ministry plans to undertake four different projects for this purpose at a cost of Rs. 800 million.

The projects aim to uplift the livelihood of the fishermen and get them adapted to fishing activities on new marine resources which are valued high in the foreign markets, sources added. Read more ...

Sri Lankan government to provide more facilities to the fishing industry in the North

Sri Lankan government has taken extensive measures to promote the fishing industry in the North to uplift the lives of the fisher community in the former war-torn areas.

Under the Uthuru Wasanthaya development programs of the North, the government plans to restart the ice production plant and the canned fish production factory at Pesalai in Mannar. Read more ...

Sri Lanka to reopen 17 closed schools in North

Sri Lanka Ministry of Education has taken steps to soon reopen several schools in the Northern Province which have been closed due to the war.

The Ministry added that 17 closed schools in the North would reopen for the third term of this year to facilitate the education opportunities to internally displaced children.

Education Ministry statistics point out that nearly 8,000 children living in the welfare camps in Vavuniya wish to recommence school activities. Read more ...

India ready to help reconstruct North

Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila told Parliament yesterday the Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, expressed India's readiness to participate in the reconstruction of Northern Sri Lanka so as to overcome the ravages of armed conflict and also lay the economic and political foundation for a sustainable peace in which all communities in Sri Lanka feel comfortable.

The Indian External Affairs Minister in his discussion with the President also stressed the India will work together with Sri Lanka on a reconstruction plan for these areas which involves infrastructure development and other support.

The Indian Minister held detailed and productive discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Deputy Foreign Minister said. Read more ...

Vavuniya a hive of activity

The Vavuniya city now transformed as a nerve centre of the Northern province is bustling with activities this weekend with the `Uthuru Vasanthaya' development project's mobile services conducted by the Public Administration Ministry, election meetings and crowded sreets, reports said.

The two-day mobile services conducted by over 20 government departments with senior officials and ministry secretaries are being held at the Vavuniya Tamil Central College. Over 5,000 people, a majority of them seeking to obtain or renew NICs, Driving Licences and Passports and Birth Certificates, were present yesterday. Some of them received free pairs of spectacles and various payments due to them. Over 2,000 school children sitting the Year Five scholarship examination turned up to receive their postal Identity Cards. Read more ...

Ministry to invest Rs. 869m for Northern fishermen

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry will invest Rs. 869 million to re-engage the fishermen of North who were denied fishing opportunities due to terrorist activities.

This investment will be placed in line with the 180 day accelerated program launched by the Government under the Uthuru Vasanthaya master development drive of the North.

This was revealed by Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera addressing the media yesterday.

Minister Perera explained that the rehabilitation of the fishery industry in the North will be launched in three stages - 180 day plan, middle term and long term plan. Read more ...

Status of livelihood development and humanitarian assistance

In order to uplift the livelihood of the fishing community in the Northern and Eastern provinces the government has decided to lift all restrictions which were in force to prevent LTTE illegal activities. The decision came into effect after a discussion held by Senior Presidential Advisor Hon. Basil Rajapaksa MP with the fishing community in the two provinces on the directions of the H.E the President.

Private traders/transporters are allowed to transport consumer goods by lorries through A- 9, Kandy – Jaffna highway. A convoy of 40 lorries will be permitted twice a week to travel through A-9 highway. So far nearly 300 private lorry owners registered with government authorities for transport of essential goods to the North. The government is also planning to allow public transport along the road during day time once de-mining process is completed. Read more ...

New dairy farm villages in Northern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Ministry of Livestock Development has taken measures to develop the liquid milk product industry in the Northern Province.

The Ministry hopes to establish 70 new dairy farm villages in selected areas of Northern Sri Lanka aiming to meet its own milk demand in the province and increase the diary production in the region.

Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu districts will each get 15 diary farm villages while another 10 villages will be established in Jaffna. Read more ...

Prof. Swaminathan to help revive agriculture in North

The internationally renowned agricultural expert Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, who is also known as the ‘Father of the Indian Green Revolution’ has pledged his fullest co-operation to revamp agricultural activities in the war-torn Northern Province in keeping with the new technologies introduced in several developing countries.

Prof. Swaminathan who was on a visit to Sri Lanka last week met Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and Jaffna District Parliamentarian Douglas Devananda at the Taj Samudra on Thursday.

Minister Devananda outlined the current socio-economic conditions in the North to Prof. Swaminathan. Read more ...

Moves under way to attract foreign investment for N-E: Foreigners eager to invest here - Minister

Information and Media and Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told Parliament yesterday that the Government has prepared blueprints to attract massive foreign investment to develop the Northern and Eastern provinces under the Uthuru Vasanthaya and Negenahira Udanaya programs.

Foreign investors have shown a keen interest to invest in Sri Lanka due to moves taken by the Government to defeat terrorism and achieve lasting peace, he said.

The Minister speaking at the Debate on the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (Amendment) Bill, said the Government through the BoI has made arrangements to create more investment opportunities to the foreign investors who are willing to invest here.

"The Government has also provided an opportunity to invest in the country's education sector as well," Minister Yapa said. Read more ...