Accordingly all arrangements are being made to declare open 180 development projects in 655 villages under seven Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the district from 1-3 August.Under the past governments Polonnaruwa remained an under-developed district and the people were riddled with many problems. When the present government took office, many issues of the people in the area remained unresolved.
Increase in number of kidney patients, lack of clean potable water and lack of irrigational water for farmlands were the main problems while there were shortcomings in education, health, roads and infrastructure.
Pibidemu Polonnaruwa (Awakening of Polonnaruwa) was launched to provide urgent solutions to these problems.Accordingly the development projects have been undertaken by Line Ministries and the Provincial Council under the Pibidemu Polonnaruwa program was at a cost of Rs. 60 billion. Development is being carried out under the leadership of the Armed Forces based on three education zones. The construction is being carried out in 18 fields while development is in progress in many sectors including schools, religious places, road reconstruction and the development of archaeological sites.
The Hingurakgoda Education Zone is being developed under the Air Force, the Dimbulagala Education Zone under the Navy and the Polonnaruwa Education Zone under the Army, Pibidemu Polonnaruwa Project Director major General Sudantha Ranasinghe said.Under this development program, 112 tanks in the Polonnaruwa District are being reconstructed to meet the needs of the farmer community. The value of the constructions which have been completed and slated to be vested in the public is nearly Rs. 20, billion.Among the new constructions are 13 buildings with three storied classrooms and 26 buildings with two storied classrooms. There are also 29 single storied buildings and also laboratories and aesthetic Units.
Main roads with a distance of 378 kilometers and the rural road network are being modernized within the Polonnaruwa District. The estimated cost is Rs.16. billion rupees.Furthermore, with the cooperation of relevant ministers, national level professionals and experts, all state institutions scattered in the district will be centralized in one building at one location. The government has allocated Rs. 1.5 billion for the project and currently the construction works of the buildings are nearing completion, the District Secretary Ranjith Ariyaratne said.A new building will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 184 million to relocate the Polonnaruwa Municipal Council and an investment of Rs. 5.254 billion will be made for complete urban development.
An estimated sum of Rs. 30 billion has been allocated by the end of this year for the development activities of the Polonnaruwa district, the District Secretary said.
