Pasikuda Tourist developments expedited
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- Published on Thursday, 10 May 2012 11:19
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The Acting Minister of Mass Media and Information and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said that lands leased out to the investors in the Pasikuda Tourism Zone will be taken over by the government, if they fail to complete construction by December 31, this year.
The Minister held a meeting with all stakeholders in the tourism sector including the investors and the representatives of local government bodies to review the progress of the construction in the Pasikuda tourism zone, at the Amathyst hotel in Pasikudah.
Construction of two hotels has already been completed and many more are to be operational by December 31.
The discussion also focused on the beach cleaning and frontage illumination of each hotel. The Koralai Pattu Pradeshiya Sabha representatives said that they do not have enough tractors to be deployed for beach cleaning and Deputy Minister Yapa promised to provide a tractor that should only be deployed for beach cleaning activities.
A number of projects have been launched by the Tourism Development authority in the Pasikuda area and most of them are at operational level now.
The meeting also focused on the supply of water, electricity facilities to the projects. Investors complained that there was a voltage fluctuation in the power linked to the projects, for which the Minister said that the situation will be rectified, once the mega electricity supply project to the Batticaloa district is completed.
Prior to 1983 Pasikuda was a popular resort for both foreign and local tourists with 171 rooms in operation in three hotels and with necessary infrastructure facilities in place. Water was supplied from Valachchanai Paper Mills sources which are about 10 km from the resort. Tourism in the area ceased with the increasing atrocities of the terrorists and it is now being revived with the government providing many facilities for investors. (niz).
