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Development of Bandarawela Town: Key economic and social arms to be uplifted

22 Jan 2022

By Uwin Lugoda The Government has expedited the development of the Bandarawela Town under the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing’s ‘Hundred Cities’ project in order to garner support towards the economy of the region, The Sunday Morning learns. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, the Ministry stated that the developments taking place in Bandarawela under the mega-development project had been expedited upon the request of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing.  The project is set to uplift eight major economic and social arms in the region and several minor ones. “We initiated work in the Bandarawela Town, aiding its eight major economic sectors of paddy, vegetables, ornamental flowers, tea, tourism, culture, archeology, and history. Now, we are in the final stages of the Bandarawela project,” said Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Media Spokesperson Prasad Manju. He stated that in addition to the above eight sectors, a number of other sub-economic sectors had already begun in Bandarawela and related areas. He explained that all these projects were expected to uplift the regional economy and attract both local and international tourists to the town. These projects fall under the ‘Hundred Cities’ project that commenced under the instructions of Prime Minister Rajapaksa, in line with President Gotabaya Rajapaks’s ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ policy statement. Manju stated that the mega project was meant to enable the people to easily and systematically uplift the income-generating sectors for their livelihood, properly manage their salaries or income, and maintain good health habits. As such, he explained that the projects like the ones in Bandarawela would soon be completed and vested in the people. Under the Bandarawela project, Manju highlighted the construction of a ‘rose garden,’ which is being built covering 80 perches within the city to help beautify the existing city.   Another development under the project is a 600-metre-long paved sidewalk on the main street to give pedestrians more space to walk. This has been done by removing the existing barriers on either side of the road. Moreover, Manju stated that the Bandarawela Town’s development would shed light on the large-, medium-, and small-scale agricultural, plantation, and floricultural sectors currently thriving in the region. “A large number of people earn direct and indirect income from growing a variety of vegetables commercially and domestically for human consumption in Bandarawela. Our ‘Hundred Cities’ programmes will further uplift these sectors, creating a good demand for vegetables and ornamental flowers,” said Manju. Due to these developments, he stated that Bandarawela residents were expecting an increase in local and foreign tourists visiting the town. He explained that this would lead to an increase in sales of vegetables and ornamental flowers in Bandarawela. Furthermore, Manju stated that the town was responsible for the harvest of tea, which generates foreign income to Sri Lanka, and rice for local consumption. He stated that the new development projects would also help these two sectors. Steps are also being taken under the project to support the region’s tourism and to protect its history. “The tourism industry in Bandarawela and nearby areas are currently being developed. This is because we’ve seen tourist attractions like Lokanthaya, Punchi Lokanthaya, Haggala Udyanaya, Dunhinda Falls, Ravana Falls, and Gregory Lake, directly or indirectly generate income. Other places, like Muthiyangana, Seethadevi Kovil, Divurumpola Temple, Dowa Temple connected to Ravana, and the Adisham Bungalow are being given extra attention in terms of preserving their history.”  


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