Sri Lanka seeks foreign aid to rebuild East

Colombo, July 16 (UNI) Sri Lanka today sought foreign aid to implement its ambitious ''180-day development programme'' to rebuild war-ravaged former rebel strongholds in the East of the country.

Sri Lankan Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Karu Jayasuriya said President Mahinda Rajapaksa would launch this 180-day programme named ''Naginahira Navodaya''(Eastern Awakening) at a national ceremony here in Colombo on July 19 to mark the ''liberation of East from the LTTE''.

''It is a very ambitious 180-day programme to establish the local authorities to ensure that the basic infrastructure facilities such as road network, electricity and schools are restored,'' Mr Jayasuriya told reporters here.

''It is the intention of the government to appeal to the world donor community and we have every reason to believe that foreign assistance and support would be forthcoming for the eastern development programme,'' said Mr Jayasuriya.

He, however, said the government was yet to assess the amount of foreign aid needed to implement this programme.

The Sri Lankan government's announcement to develop the East came barely within a week after the government troops wrested control of the last bastion of the LTTE in the thick and rocky Thoppigala jungles.

Mr Jayasuriya said the government was planning to hold local government and provincial council polls in the east as a part of the Eastern development programme.

Urging the people to hoist Sri Lankan lion flag on July 19 as a mark of tribute to the gallant achievement of the military and also remember those who sacrificed their lives in this effort.

He said Mr Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, ''will officially be informed by the Service Chief about the liberation of the East from the LTTE'' at the ceremony at the Independent Square in Colombo.

''It is not a victory celebration or a carnival, but a 90-minute sombre national event to be held in the lines of the spirit of Independence,'' Mr Jayasuriya said, adding that the about 700-member military parade would be part of the ceremony.

UNI