iv
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1993
"THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IS THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RURAL PLANNING AND IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL AREAS.
IN MONEY TERMS, MR LAM ESTIMATED THAT THIS WOULD AMOUNT TO MILLION FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR A STAGGERING 37 PER CENT LEAP OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
$68
—
ALL THE PROJECTS WERE AIMED AT IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL LIVING CONDITIONS, AND WERE UNDERTAKEN IN RESPONSE ΤΟ LOCAL NEEDS, MR LAM SAID.
THESE INCLUDED VAN TRACKS, BRIDGES, DRAINAGE SCHEMES, SITTING- OUT AREAS, CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS, AND OTHERS.
IN ADDITION, NT DISTRICT OFFICERS HAVE ALSO ARRANGED WITH RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR THE RE-CONSTRUCTION OF ACCESS ROADS TO YUEN LONG AND SAI KUNG, AND THE PROVISION OF WATER SUPPLY ΤΟ MANY REMOTE VILLAGES.
DISTRICT OFFICERS ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CO-ORDINATION OF CLEARANCES
RESUMPTION RELATING TO
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
LAST YEAR, THEY WERE
AND
LAND
SUCCESSFULLY
INVOLVED IN VILLAGE CLEARANCES FOR THE YUEN LONG SOUTHERN BYPASS, THE CLEARANCE OF THE YUEN HA TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA AND SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS.
CNTA STAFF, MR LAM SAID, HAD ALSO MEDIATED AND RESOLVED MANY "FUNG SHUI" DISPUTES.
TURNING TO DEVELOPING NEW TOWNS, MR LAM SAID SPECIAL ATTENTION WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PAID TO TIN SHUI WAI, MA ON SHAN AND TSEUNG KWAN
0.
AND
"THE DISTRICT OFFICERS AND CNTA HEADQUARTERS WILL ENSURE THAT IS ADEQUATE AND TIMELY PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
THERE
"THEY ALSO LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING IN THE NEW TOWNS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DISTRICT OFFICER OF SAI KUNG HAS ACCELERATED THE FORMATION OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES (MAC) IN TSEUNG KWAN O BY ASSISTING SOME 80 PER CENT OF THE HOUSING BLOCKS ΤΟ FORM THEIR OWN MAC'S."
AS REGARDS RURAL HOUSING FOR INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS, MR LAM SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS STREAMLINING PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING SMALL HOUSE APPLICATIONS WITH A VIEW TO REDUCING PROCESSING TIME.
AT PRESENT, THE AVERAGE TIME FOR PROCESSING APPLICATION IS 10 MONTHS.
A SMALL HOUSE
"OUR AIM IS TO REDUCE THIS TO SEVEN MONTHS BY THE END OF 1993 MR LAM SAID.
/ON COMMUNITY