World Bank teams begin field survey tour in NE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 June 2003, 00:50 GMT]
Two teams of World Bank officials began their four day field survey tour in the districts of Northeast province Monday to assess agricultural development and restoration works on minor irrigation tanks now being carried out by the World Bank funded North East Irrigated Agricultural Project (NEIAP), government officials in Trincomalee said.

WB teams inspect the channel of Sinna galmetiyawa. (Photo: NEIAP)

The two teams which included Mr.Jaganathan of India and Mr.Ohn Mint of Japan jointly conducted the assessment study in the Trincomalee district Monday.

NEIAP Project Director Mr. P.Ramanathan and several officials from other government departments numbering about fifty accompanied the World Bank teams to the selected focal villages in the Trincomalee district.

World ank teams lead by Sri Lanka's Task leader Mr.Nihal Fernando Monday afternoon visited Illupaikulam where the Sirupiddy tank is located. Villagers told the visiting officials that they are suffering due to scarcity of drinking water. Medical facilities and electricity supply are not provided to the village, they told the World Bank officials.

The officials distributed sewing machines and other assistance to widows and others under the Livelihood Assistance Scheme, NEIAP sources said.

WB teams inspect the bund of Sinna galmetiyawa. (Photo: NEIAP)

Nearly 250 Tamil families of Illupaikulam fled from this remote village in 1985 due to war. About 100 families have now returned to the village following Cease-Fire Agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Earlier on Monday, the teams visited Sinna Galmetiyawa Tank in the Tampalakamam division where Sinhala farmers live.

The teams met the farmers of the Sinna Galmetiyawa after inspection of the tank. About ninety percent of villagers who attended the discussion were women, the sources said.

Later World Bank officials distributed sewing machines to thirteen widows and financial assistance to others under the livelihood assistance scheme, the sources said.

Two other World Bank teams Tuesday morning left Trincomalee to Killinochchi and Mannar districts. One team visited two focal villages Ambahamam and Olumadu in Mullaitivu district and the other team went to Mannar to visit the two focal villages, Periyakulam and Puthukulam, in the district, NEIAP sources said.