ColomboPage.com
June 06, Mullaitivu: Marking a historic moment, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning commissioned the rebuilt Kokavil Multipurpose Transmission Tower in the former LTTE Tiger heartland of Mullaitivu.
The 174-meter communication tower, built at a cost of 450 million rupees under the Northern Spring program, is considered as the tallest transmission tower in South Asia.
The tower is to begin digital transmission covering the entire Northern Province of the island from today, according to the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
Secretary of the Media and Information Ministry W. B Ganegala said the communication between north and south will be restarted with the setting up of the tower.
Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, and the Independent Television Network jointly provided the funds for the construction work of the tower.
The original Sri Lanka Rupavahini relay tower in Kokavil was constructed in 1981 to facilitate the people in the North to view television broadcast clearly. However, it was destroyed by the LTTE Tiger terrorists on the 11th of July 1990 when the army lost the Kokavil army camp to the terrorists.
The President placed a floral tribute to honor Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya and other war heroes who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the tower from the terrorists. The President was offered a guard-of-honor at the event.
The Army recaptured the town on December 1, 2008 during the government-launched final offensive.
Foundation stone for the new tower was laid in August 2009 and the construction work was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information.
The tower, which is Sri Lanka's first ever multi-channel broadcasting tower, will be allocated for the providers of services of high speed internet, radio, television, and telecommunications transmissions, as well as military communication operations.
Governor of the Northern Province, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, Governor of the North Central Province, Karunarathne Divulgane, Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Douglas Devananda, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, armed forces chiefs including Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasooriya, Chief of Defense Staff Air Wing Marshal Roshan Gunathilaka, Acting I.G.P. N.K. Ilangakoon, Director General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Anusha Palpita, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Media Ministry W.B. Ganegala, Provincial politicians of the Northern Province and media personnel were present at the occasion.
(Photos by Chandana Perera)
