Lanka allocates Rs 6.5 billion to rebuild war-hit East

Colombo, July 24 (UNI) The Sri Lankan Government today said it had allocated Rs 6.5 billion to rebuild the Eastern Province, claiming it had now been ''liberated'' by its military from the Tamil Tiger rebels after almost two decades.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, also the Minister of Finance, had ordered the treasury to allocate Rs 6.5 billion in order to lay a strong economic foundation to achieve the goal of economic freedom for the people of the East, Defence Spokesman and Minister of Foreign Employment, Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters here.

Claiming that the liberation of the Eastern Province, militarily, will be meaningful only when the people were given economic freedom and the civil administration had been established, Minister Rambukwella said the government had already embarked on a 180-day rapid development program to achieve the dual goal.

''Within the 180 days, we will have a very strong foundation laid for economic development. At the same time we will be taking all steps to strengthen the civil administration there,'' he said.

Pointing out the killing of the Chief Secretary of the Eastern province, Harath Abeyweera, in the heavily-guarded Trincomalee town last week, the minister said restoring civil administration in the East would be a challenging task for the government.

''It is a big challenge to the government but we are fully prepared to face it,'' Mr Rambukwella said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police today called for heightened public vigilance claiming that the recent intelligence reports revealed that the Tamil Tigers had already despatched two explosive-laden vehicles to Colombo aiming to cause destruction in the South.

''We have received intelligence warning that the Tigers, after facing humiliating defeat in the East, have sent at least two truck bombs to Colombo. We urge the people to inform the police of any suspicious vehicles and personnel,'' police spokesman DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne said.

In a separate incident in the Vavuniya district, the LTTE attacked a sentry point early this morning, killing four police homeguards.

UNI