District secretaries told to give priority to construction projects

The Finance Ministry has written to all District Secretaries telling them to propose projects under their respective decentralised budgets by February 15 this year and to adhere to a priority list devised by the government that is heavy on construction projects.

“Ensure that you set aside a minimum of 50% of your district’s total allocation for physical infrastructure development projects (construction),” said a letter sent this week to District Secretaries by Mahinda Siriwardana, Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry Secretary.

Strict implementation deadlines have been set. All projects approved under the 2024 decentralised budget must be completed before July 31 of this year. And no project proposal must be altered after April, except for “unavoidable reasons”. And only projects that can be completed within 2024 are to be identified under this programme.

The allocations for each district are attached, with the highest for Colombo (Rs. 1.09bn) and the lowest for Kilinochchi (Rs. 80mn). The funds will be released by the Presidential Secretariat once the projects are approved with a focus on economic, educational, social, religious and cultural initiatives that are not been carried out by line ministries, provincial councils and other institutions or agencies.

Projects for each division secretariat or grama niladhari division must be decided by the District Coordination Committee according to population, poverty, area size, and development needs unique to the location. And community awareness must be finished by January 31, 2024, to finalize project identification.

The Ministry Secretary has identified priority sectors. For instance, construction projects which were in their final stages when COVID struck but can now be completed at low cost; erection of public facilities at places of tourist attractions; rural public drinking water supply networks; and projects for the provision and improvement of rural transportation facilities provincial and rural roads, footpaths, bridges, culverts and roadside drainage systems.

Included are small-scale rural electrification projects/extensions of small-scale electricity connections-certificate should be obtained from the Ceylon Electricity Board that these projects can be implemented and completed within the year 2024--and provision of roof-mounted solar panel systems to government institutions and public religious centers.

The Ministry will accept proposals for the setting up or upgrading of bazaars, weekly markets and marketing centres as well as building and improvement of sanitation facilities therein; development of physical infrastructure of primary and secondary schools, rural hospitals, rural dispensaries (as well as Ayurvedic dispensaries) and maternity and child clinics; supply of goods and improvement of their access roads.

Also acceptable are projects to create and develop facilities for rural playgrounds and libraries; to build and renovate small tanks, culverts, weirs, irrigation stations and ponds, cisterns and tube wells under minor irrigation initiatives; and activities related to agricultural development including roads and threshing floors.

The Ministry also encourages proposals to provide facilities and equipment for registered societies and community organizations, pre-schools, orphanages and old age homes; facilities and equipment for religious centres, registered Dhamma schools, cultural centres, etc; and initiatives to eliminate or reduce threats to habitats and crops from wild animals.