Lanka announces estate roads development project

Colombo: Under the Government's Mahinda Chinthana programme to develop the Estate sector and uplift the living conditions of plantation workers a sum of US $ 20 million would be utilised to develop 2,000 kilometres of Estate roads before the end of 2009.


This programme will cover 14 districts namely, Badulla, Moneragala, Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Kalutara, Matale, Matara, Gampaha, Colombo and Puttalam said a press elease by the Plantation Industries Ministry.


The programme will be conducted by the Plantation Industries Ministry and 60 per cent of the total capital outlay will be covered by an ADB and a Japan Bank for International loan while the balance will be funded by the Government.


The identification of roads coming under this programme would be handled jointly by the plantation companies and state institutions and supervision would be done by the Road Development Authority. The RDA would also create awareness among estate managements about the rehabilitation work and handle the estimates and quantity surveys and also assist the contract process where necessary. Payments for work completed would also be made on the recommendations of the RDA.


Under this programme it is hoped to rehabilitate 750 kilometres of estate roads in 11 districts this year.
The programme will start off from Udapola Group, Deraniyagala belonging to the Bogawantalawa Lalan Rubber Plantation Company. The release said rehabilitation of estate roads would also help reduce crop damage in harvest technology from 40 to 10 per cent.