Deputy Tourism Minister Faizer Musthpha on a tour to the east during weekend said a planned and a sustained tourism development plan will be launched in the east by the government in concurrence with the Eastern Provincial Council.

He said already an area of 400 acres have been earmarked in Nilaveli which comes under the Kutchchuveli Divisional Secretariat. This project will be launched under the provisions of the Tourism Act and will be developed as an up market tourist resort he said.

Powers will be devolved to the Provinincial Council to implement the projects in concurrence with the government he said.

"We have to learn from the past mistakes make sure that they are not repeated he," said. Though Bentota is a well planned tourism zone, haphazard development in other areas like Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna have been a bane for tourism. The unauthorized structures have become an eyesore and the best environmental and health practices have not been adopted in these areas he said.

Unawatuna is reckoned as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. However due to earlier mentioned factors the beauty of these pristine beaches have been ruined Musthapha said.

But the beaches in the east are unspoilt and not congested hence we need to protect them with a planned approach in developing tourism he noted.

Chief Minister Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan said "There is a lot of potential for tourism development in the East coat and number of projects have been launched by the Eastern Tourism Development Authority for the resorts in Trincomalee, Nilaveli,Batticaloa, Pottuvil and Arugam Bay.

Another area that has been earmarked has been the Wakare area which was a hot spot for tourism in the good old days but has been inaccessible to people due to terrorism he said.

The development in Wakare will be centered around beautiful island named "Sallitivu" another area in the close proximity to this location he explained.

"The infrastructure has to be developed and the standard of the accommodation has to be improved in some of the existing hotels have to be improved," he said.

Tourism will be developed to be the main income generator of the people in the east the Chief Minister stressed.

Chief Minister’s Secretary S.Mamangarajah said that there are 49,000 widows in the province and of them 35,000 are below 30 years.The unemployment ratio is around 30% here. There are also 8,000 TMVP cadres who are now unemployed and this is a serious issue which has to be addressed sooner than later.

The initial work has been implemented by the NECCDP for which around Rs 115 million has been allocated he said.