India to help in rehabilitating Lanka's Industrial Zone

Colombo, Dec 9 (PTI) India today said it will undertake a major infrastructure project in Sri Lanka to rehabilitate the Atchchuvely Industrial Zone (AIZ) in the Tamil-dominated northern Jaffna district at a cost of USD 1.7 million. The objective of the project is to assist potential investors to commence business ventures by providing for required infrastructure and utilities at the AIZ, the Indian High Commission here said. The project will see the construction of access roads, internal roads, water supply system with treatment plant, power supply, sewerage and waste disposal system as a part of the requisite infrastructure at the Zone. Approximately, 25 acres of the AIZ will be developed initially. The completion of the project is expected to provide a boost to economic activities in the Jaffna Peninsula and generate local employment, both direct and indirect, for about 2,000 people. It is also expected to lead to flow of significant investments to increase production capacities in the sectors of textiles, plastic and leather products, food processing, agro-based industries among others. Speaking on the occasion the Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha said, "the project will be completed in a period of 14 months and it will provide a platform for industrial development of the region, for regeneration of livelihoods and for restoration of normalcy in northern province". India has been supporting Sri Lanka's post-LTTE conflict development with co-operation extending to many areas of assistance. PTI