Colombo: After capturing the crucial land route to the embattled Jaffna province, Sri Lankan government is fast-tracking repair work on the highway, allocating USD 4.5 million or SLR 500 million, to make it usable for commercial and defence purposes.
"Thousands of dollars will be saved by the Sri Lanka government once the 81 km long A-32 land route linking the Northern peninsula with the rest of the country is rendered usable," a senior official said.
The absence of land route had necessitated the supply of essential commodities as well as defence requirements into the north through sea or air leading to immense expenditure on fuel and other related imported items.
A sum of 500 million Sri Lankan rupees has been allocated to expeditiously repair the A-32 land route that links the Northern peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka, Defence Spokesman and senior cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
Accordingly, swift measures have been taken to develop the highway system which will avert difficulties experienced due to the unavailability of a land route especially for Jaffna civilians to move to the other parts of the country, he said.
The upgradation of the road system will however take time in the view of the neglect of the stretch that was captured by the LTTE in 1993, officials said.
The Special Task Force of the Sri Lankan army captured the Pooneryn LTTE bastion in the neck of Jaffna peninsula this month.
