Development project put on hold

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 March 1999, 22:48 GMT]
The Batticaloa District Devolopment Committee (DDC) and the District Co-ordinating Committee (DCC) unanimously resolved again yesterday that the Norwegian funded DEBRA project would be put on hold for another month until it can be implemented in all parts of the region.

A deadlock over the implementation of the NORAD funded project arose after the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) ruled that the areas not under its control should not recieve its benefits.

Batticaloa district MPs and senior government officials are opposed to the SLA's ruling.

The resolution was taken after the DERBA director R. Sivanandarajah brought up the project for approval by the DDC and the DCC. (it was shelved last month after strong objections by MPs and officials)

Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister for Media, Posts and Telecommunications M.L.A.M Hisbullah MP (Batticaloa) said that he would take the matter up with the President once the provincial council elections are over.

Meanwhile, the Divisional Secretary for Vaakarai, S.K Balasubramaniam, told the meeting that the people in his division are facing immense hardship due to the severe dearth of medical facilities.

He said that last Monday 350 civilians who had come to seek medical assistance from the MSF mobile clinic at Vaakarai had to turn back as there were no doctors to see them.

The MSF conducts a mobile medical clinic in Vaakarai twice a week, on Monday and Friday. The DS said that the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) has been unable to provide any doctors to the MSF's mobile clinics for more than a month. He added that the MSF's own doctors handle only emergency cases.

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