President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says special attention will be given in the upcoming Budget to the development of rural roads, drinking water supply and waste management projects across the country.
The President made these remarks while attending a Special District Coordination Committee Meeting held at the Batticaloa District Secretariat today.
During the meeting, he instructed public representatives and community members to jointly prepare a report on the water supply projects needed to address drinking, irrigation and industrial water requirements in the Batticaloa District.
President Dissanayake said officials from the National Water Supply and Drainage Board would also be sent to the area to hold discussions and explore solutions, while temporary measures would be introduced immediately to ease the drinking water shortage faced by residents.
He further stated that the Government would allocate the necessary funds for all planned water supply projects and instructed officials to begin construction work on all proposed roads within this year.
Attention was also drawn to land disputes, issues relating to cultivated lands located within wildlife zones and long-standing concerns raised by dairy farmers regarding the Mailaththamadu–Madhavanai grazing lands.
The President also reviewed plans to fully develop the Valaichchenai Harbour, including the establishment of a lighthouse facility to support the fishing industry in the Eastern Province.
Discussions during the meeting also focused on flood control measures, projects aimed at reducing human-elephant conflict, improvements to healthcare facilities, and compensation programmes for damages caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
President Dissanayake instructed officials to expedite compensation payments and housing construction projects while also reviewing the implementation progress of the “Prajashakthi” programme in the Batticaloa District.
