COLOMBO: An industrial estate at Achchuveli in Jaffna district, set up at a cost of LKR 220 million (US$ 1.7 million) by India, was inaugurated on Wednesday by the Sri Lankan Economic Development Minister, Basil Rajapaksa, in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner Y K Sinha.
In phase I of the project, 25 acres of land have been developed to facilitate setting up of 22 industrial units, providing employment opportunities for about 2,000 persons directly and about 10,000 persons indirectly. The infrastructure includes internal road network, service buildings, water supply system with treatment plant, power supply and electrical work with street lighting, sewerage, waste water disposal system, fire protection system and landscaping.
The targeted sectors for investment in the estate includes textiles, plastic and leather products, oil and fibre products, food processing units, and agro-based industries. Once the Northern Railway Project, being executed with Indian assistance, rehabilitates the rail link up to Jaffna by September 2014, access to the industrial estate would be enhanced.
At another function in Jaffna on Wednesday, the foundation stone of the LKR 145 million (US@ 1.1 million) project to renovate the Duraiappah Stadium was laid. The project, to be completed by May 2015, envisages the renovation of the main pavilion and the construction of a secondary pavilion, a gymnasium, a playground with a 400m track, a waste & sewer disposal network, a sprinkler system and floodlighting.