Rural bridges will benefit 300,000 people in Kegalle.

Work on a number of rural bridges out of a total of 26 under construction in the Kegalle District are already nearing completion under the programme to build 210 bridges country-wide for linking villages with towns and cities, launched under Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa's direction.

These rural bridges coming up in 11 Divisional Secretariat areas in nine electorates in the Kegalle District will help to improve the economic conditions of nearly 300,000 people, according to District Secretary Thusitha Wanigasinghe.

Kegalle district's total population is 837,179 comprising 218,508 families in 573 Grama Seva Divisions.  The district consists of 1,677 villages where 73,273 families - Samurdhi beneficiaries - live.

The programme introduced in accordance with the Mahinda Chinthana Vision is activated in 14 districts of the island. These steel bridges have been built without arches so that they can withstand natural disasters resulting from climatic changes.

Since 75 percent of the country's population live in rural areas, Minister Rajapaksa has expressed confidence that these bridges would help strengthen the rural economy and raise the living standards of villagers. He added that roads built under the Maga Neguma Programme have helped to increase productivity and improve the incomes of the rural population. This is seen especially in the agricultural and plantation sectors, according to him. The bridges will also greatly benefit ordinary commuters and school children.

The rural bridges in Kegalle completed within four months after the Minister Rajapaksa laid the foundation stones in August include the Malarambe Bridge and the New Bolt Colony Bridge in Narangoda, Galigamuwa. The rural bridges are being constructed with British aid. The remaining bridges will be completed within the first half of this year (2014), according to District Secretary Wanigasinghe.

These rural bridges are being constructed under the guidance of Senior Ministers Athauda Seneviratne and Professor Tissa Witharana, Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjit Siyambalapitiya, Deputy Ministers Lalith Dissanayake, H.R.Mithrapala and Y.G. Pathamasiri, Parliamentarian Kanaka Herath and District Secretary Thusitha Wanigasinghe.

•Pictures by: Thusitha Chandakumara

•Compiled by: Dharman Wickremaratne

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