17 August 2019 04:21 pm Views - 2244
The Sri Lankan Government will soon begin a dialogue with India to develop Palaly and Batticaloa airports, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.
The Prime Minister who was speaking at the opening of the Mailady Fisheries Harbour in Jaffna said the government would start a dialogue with India to develop the two airports with a view of developing the tourism industry in the North and the East.
“We will get into a dialogue with the Indian Government to develop the Palali and Batticaloa Airports. “ Palaly will be developed into a regional airport. We also intend to introduce a ferry service in the North to enhance tourism. A number of other projects will be introduced to attract tourists in the area."
“We will have to acquire some lands to expand the Palaly Airport", the Prime Minister added.
He said the government had allocated Rs 14 billion for the development of the Northern Province. The Prime Minister said tab computers would be given to children in the North as well. He also said trained teachers will also be placed in the province in order to enhance quality education.
“Jaffna was one of the key cities in the country during my childhood but it lost the status because of the war. I pledge to restore this status once again,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister also pledged to release the remaining 200 acres of land in the North. He said a total of 80,000 acres have been released from 2009 to this date since the end of the war. (Yohan Perera)