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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1979
MR. YEUNG SAID THAT APART FROM THE FACILITIES PROVIDED OR TO BE PROVIDED IN THE NEW TOWNS, IN THE WHOLE NEW TERRITORIES THERE IS NOT A SINGLE CULTURAL COMPLEX, NOT A SINGLE AUDITORIUM, NOT A SINGLE INDOOR STADIUM, NOT A SINGLE GAMES HALL, NOT A SINGLE SQUASH COURT, NOT A SINGLE PUBLIC PARK, ONLY ONE FOOTBALL STADIUM, ONE SUB-STANDARD RUNNING TRACK, ONLY ONE SMALL SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX, VERY FEW VILLAGES WITH STREET LIGHTS, MANY VILLAGES WITHOUT WATER SUPPLY AND MANY VILLAGES WITHOUT NORMAL" POSTAL SERVICES.
+ IN RECENT YEARS GOVERNMENT HAS ADDRESSED ITS ATTENTION TO REDRESS THIS SOCIAL IMBALANCE AND HAS BEGUN TO SPEED UP THE PROGRESS OF PROVIDING BASIC COMMUNITY SERVICES AS WELL AS THE INFRA-STRUCTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
+SINCE THIS IS A NEW PHASE OF GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES, ONLY A FEW PROJECTS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR COMMENCED, SOME ARE WAITING FOR THEIR TURN IN CATEGORY A TO COMMENCE WORK AND MANY ARE STILL ON THE DRAWING BOARD,+ MR. YEUNG SAID,
HE SAID THE EFFECT OF THE GENERAL CONSTRAINT ACROSS THE BOARD WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE THE NEW TERRITORIES POSITION.
+A WARM RAY OF HOPE IS, HOWEVER, DETECTED FROM THE WARNING OF THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ISSUED TO THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS FOR THE HEADS OF EXPENDITURE WHEN HE STRESSED THAT WHILE THE CASH LIMITS WILL BE APPLIED FIRMLY, THEY WILL ALSO BE APPLIED FLEXIBLY AND FAIRLY'.
+ INDEED THE VOTE PROVISION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME CAN BE, AND I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT, SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED FLEXIBLY AND FAIRLY BY ALLOWING CERTAIN VITAL CATEGORY A PROJECTS
IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO PROCEED BY STAGES OR PHASES ACCORDING TO NEED.+
HE THOUGHT PLANNING FOR ALL MAJOR AND CIRCULAR ROAD PROJECTS SHOULD PROCEED, AS THE CONSTRUCTION WORKS WILL BE PHASED AND TAKE YEARS TO COMPLETE.
FOUR SECTIONS IN THE CIRCULAR ROAD SYSTEM PARTICULARLY NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION: THE ROUND-ABOUT IN AU TAU JUNCTION, THE TAI PO BYPASS, THE FANLING BYPASS AND THE SHA TIN-TAI PO COASTAL ROAD.
HE SAID THE BASIC COMMUNITY FACILITY PROJECTS SHOULD ALSO BE DIVIDED INTO SUB-PROJECTS ACCORDING TO PRIORITY OF LOCAL NEEDS AND BE PROCEEDED WITH.
OF THESE, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD NOT BE POSTPONED: THE AUDITORIA OF THE CULTURAL COMPLEXES, PARTICULARLY IN TAI PO, YUEN LONG, SHA TIN, AND TUEN MUN- THE FOOTBALL STADIA CUM RUNNING TRACKS FOR TAI PO, SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN- THE SWIMMING POOLS- THE WATER SUPPLY PROGRAMME ESPECIALLY IN SAI KUNG DISTRICT THE OVERALL VILLAGE LIGHTING PROGRAMME, AND THE PROGRAMME FOR KEEPING THE NEW TERRITORIES CLEAN AND POLLUTION FREE.
HE ADDED THAT THE REVENUE-GENERATING PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE PROVISION OF INFRA-STRUCTURE TO THE MINOR LAY-OUT OF TONG YAN SAN CHUEN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMMERCIAL-RESIDENTIAL PODIA OVER RAILWAY STATIONS AND MASHALLING YARDS, SHOULD ALSO NOT BE POSTPONED,