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Work on a project to rebuild and restore the Anuradhapura Junction Market at Trincomalee Town has been initiated aimed at making it an important centre for commerce and a place of social interaction between residents of all social classes and ethnic groups.
Inaugural work on the restoration took place recently by James R. Moore, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Colombo, Trincomalee Government Agent Maj. Gen. TTR Silva and the Trincomalee Urban Council Chairman, Mr. SG Mugunthan. Providing modern market facilities is part of the infrastructure development programme for the East.
This key restoration work in the Eastern port city of Trincomalee, done through international partnership, is a USAID project in partnership with Hellenic Aid. The work is being done under a USAID grant to the Czech-based humanitarian NGO “People in Need”, co-funded by Hellenic Aid, the development arm of the Greek Government.
Speaking at the launch of this work Mr. James R Moore said, “The U.S. Government is proud to be able to contribute to the refurbishment of this market, which is important to the economic and social life of Trincomalee. The coming months and years will be a decisive and exciting period for Trincomalee and the East. We hope there will be new opportunities for people of all communities – Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhalese – to share in development, exercise their democratic rights, pursue their livelihoods, and build a brighter future.”
The US Embassy said the project was developed following a consultative process with government officials and local residents who identified the market as a top priority. The project will rehabilitate infrastructure including buildings, electricity and water connections, toilets, drainage, parking lots, composting and garbage collection facilities, as well as build the capacity of the Trincomalee Urban Council staff and the newly revitalized vendors association, which will maintain the market.
Mr. Moore also dedicated a new market in the coastal Muslim fishing village of Kinniya, which was badly devastated by the tsunami. The rehabilitated facility will provide fisher folk a central location to sell their products directly to consumers, improving the monetary yields from their daily catches.
“This market promises to help improve the lives of the people of Kinniya,” Mr. Moore said at the dedication. “In addition to being a gathering place where fish can be sold in sanitary conditions, the new market is an attractive building that will serve as a source of pride for the entire community.”
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