High-level Monitoring Committee from India’s Ministry of External Affairs concludes visit

A high-level Monitoring Committee from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, led by P.S. Raghavan, Special Secretary (Development Partnership Administration) and Bimal Julka, Special Secretary and Financial Adviser, visited Sri Lanka from 9-12 April 2013 to monitor and evaluate the progress of ongoing development projects implemented by Government of India in Sri Lanka.

The delegation visited the North Sea Fishnet factory at Gurunagar, Jaffna, which is being upgraded with latest equipment under a Project funded by Government of India at a cost of SLR 166 million, and is expected to be fully operational with the latest equipment by May 2013.

Under this project, four fishnet making machines and two fishnet stretching machines for manufacturing different types of fishnets have been supplied, besides setting up of a water purification system, dye plant, etc. 24,000 kg of fishnet making twines were also supplied under the project. It is expected that this equipment will help increase the fishnet production at the factory from the present level of 60 MT per year to 300 MT per year.

During the visit, the delegation, accompanied by the Consul General of India Jaffna V. Mahalingam, also launched a Government of India-funded project to assist in the repair/renovation of 1,230 small business premises at Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, which were damaged during the last phase of the armed conflict.

A function was organised to launch the Project at the Cooperative Conference Hall in Kilinochchi, which was attended by M. Chandrakumar, Member of Parliament, R. Ketheeswaran, Government Agent of Kilinochchi, and Nalin Atygalle, Secretary General of Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, among others. Certificates were distributed at the event to 174 beneficiaries to mark the launch of the project.

The project is being implemented at a cost of SLR 65.35 million, assisting 1,230 beneficiaries to help rebuild their damaged business premises. Depending on the scale of their business, beneficiaries are being provided SLR 25,000 (micro-category), SLR 50,000 (small-category), SLR 1 lakh (medium-category) or SLR 200,000 (large-category).

A total of 571 beneficiaries have been selected under the micro-category, 477 beneficiaries under the small category, 101 beneficiaries under the medium category and 81 beneficiaries under the large category. The funds for each beneficiary are transferred electronically directly into their bank accounts by the High Commission of India.

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka is facilitating the implementation of the project, by helping identify deserving beneficiaries and undertaking the necessary paperwork.