SDC hands over completed building to Education Department in Jaffna

Officials from the Switzerland Embassy in Colombo rushed to Jaffna Tuesday to open a school building built by Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) in Ma’ravanpulavu in Thenmaraadchi avoiding the standing instruction by Sri Lanka government to all Government and Non-government Organizations to invite its ministers and military officials to any public or ceremonial event held by them, sources in Jaffna said. The building was handed over to the Jaffna Education Department by the visiting Swiss Embassy officials. Northern Province Governor Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, SL minister Douglas Devananda and his party parliamentarian Athavan are alleged of compelling the NGOs and voluntary organizations to invite them as chief guests to the opening of the development projects completed by them.

Northern Province Governor, SL government ministers and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) top brass have made it a custom to take part in the above events to show off to the public as if they had funded the related development projects which in truth had been done by International Volunteer Organizations and Non-government Organizations, NGO circles in Jaffna said.

The NGOs in the peninsula face difficulties in carrying out their development work without the cooperation of SL government ministers and the local SLA officials.

Ma’ravanpulavu school building destroyed in the war in 2002 had been newly built by SDC at a cost of 18 million rupees and the Education officers in charge of the area had been urged to prepare the program of the opening event of the completed building by SL minister and EPDP parliamentarian Athavan to list them as the chief guests, sources in Thenmaraadchi said.

Information Source: TamilNet