TEN BILLION FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN NORTH

The Economic Development Ministry has been allocated Rs.10 billion for various development projects to be carried out in the north this year, officials said yesterday.

Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda and Northern Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, announced this at a meeting held at the Jaffna District Secretariat. Minister Devananda said that though the opposition had alleged that no budgetary allocations had been made for the development of the North and resettlement of the IDPS, the Government had carried out many developmental activities and resettled people with the allocations that had been made. He also said that the development work carried by NELSIP and NERP in the North were carried out by using funds from the gov-

The problems faced by the resettled people, land issues, fresh water fish farming projects, issues regarding fisheries industry and making available fishing gear for the resettled fisher families were discussed in depth at the meeting

ernment and the funds given by voluntary organizations for the construction of hous- es and other development work.

Divisional Secretaries, senior government officers of the northern region and peoples’ representatives had been invited for this meeting.

The discussion centred round how the sum of Rs. 10 billion allocated by the Ministry of Economic Development was to be utilized. The problems faced by the reset- tled people, land issues, fresh water fish farming projects, issues regarding fisheries industry and making available fishing gear for the resettled fisher families were discussed in depth at the meeting.

Imelda Sukumar, G.A. Jaffna. Mrs. Yogeswary Patkunarajah, the Mayor of Jaffna, Mr. Sylvestri Alantin, EPDP, Jaffna District Member of Parliament and several government officials participated in this meeting.