World Bank, EU delegates to visit Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2006, 12:31 GMT]
World Bank Country Director, Mr.Peter C.Harrold and a representative of the European Commission is scheduled to visit Trincomalee district March 21 for two days to monitor the progress in the housing reconstruction programme in the war torn districts in the NorthEast. North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) funded by the World Bank is the implementing partner, sources said.

The team would visit the villages in the divisional secretariat divisions of Trincomalee town and gravets, Kinniya, Thambalakamam and will hold discussion with officials related to the programme. In addition Mr. Harrold will hand over houses constructed for war-affected families under the NEHRP Phase-I in the villages Ayiliayady, Thambalakamam and Sambaltivu on March 21.

Mr Harrold is also expected to attend a conference on the morning of March 22 in the NorthEast Chief Secretariat with Mr.S.Rangarajah, Chief Secretary in the chair. In the afternoon he will hand over houses reconstructed in 1995 to beneficiaries at Viharagama and Jayanthipura and inaugurate the housing reconstruction programme at Avvainagar in Morawewa divisional secretariat division, sources said.

The World Bank provided 75 million US dollars for the housing reconstruction programme implemented by the NEHRP in 2005. The European Commission has now provided 22 million US Dollars to the NEHRP through the World Bank to further assist the housing reconstruction programme in 2006. An agreement to this effected was signed on March 1 in Colombo between the World Bank, EU and North East Provincial Council (NEPC).