Japan and ADB to develop road network in three districts
[Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 05.35 GMT] 

Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are supporting a pilot project that will combine rural road work and the creation of income-generating opportunities in the poorest districts of Sri Lanka.

The project will be funded by a US$2 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to be managed by ADB. The government and project beneficiaries will contribute $245,000 to complete the funding requirement, an ADB press statement said yesterday (January 22).

The Improvement of Rural Access Roads and Livelihood Development for the poor project will rehabilitate about 200 kilometers of rural access roads with community participation in Badulla, Monaragala and Ratnapura.

Three to four non-governmental organizations will provide construction work training to 2,500 male and female workers from poor families living in the three districts covered by the project, according to the statement.

The workers will undertake the rehabilitation of the target rural access roads in their villages, and will set aside 50 per cent of their salaries to generate capital for self-employment. The non-governmental organizations will also provide training for self-employment programs to 2,000 beneficiaries in the three target districts.