Japan to rebuild tsunami destroyed schools in coastal belt

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 01:19 GMT]
Japanese Government will use funds from the $80m grant it provided to the Government of Sri Lanka for post tsunami reconstruction to rebuild fourteen schools destroyed by tsunami along the coastal belt, a press release issued by the Embassy of Japan in Colombo said Wednesday.

Full text of the press release follows:

Japan assists in the reconstruction of
tsunami affected schools in Sri Lanka

With a view to enhancing the revival of educational facilities in the schools severely affected by the tsunami in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka, the Government of Japan will assist in the reconstruction of 14 such schools. The reconstruction of these schools were made possible with funds made available from the total grant of US $ 80 million provided by the Government of Japan, aimed at assisting the post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Deepankara Primary School in Tangalle, at total cost of Rs.25 million, was held on 14th June at the school premises. This is the first school to be reconstructed under this grant aid scheme. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted in the preparation of the designing of the school building and the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) of the Government of Japan will be responsible for supervising the project. The construction of the school building is due to be completed by the end of November 2005, so as to facilitate an expeditious resumption of educational activities of the children who would be able to return to school and continue their studies as soon as possible. Around 440 children will benefit from this project.

Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply, and Mr. Hideyuki Onishi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan were among those present at the foundation laying ceremony. Many Government officials from Tangalle, officials of the Education Ministry and school children were also present at the occasion.