XN000022-1976-11-12 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1976

MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO SOUTH LANTAU ROAD ******

THE GOVERNMENT IS TO RESUME MORE THAN 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL LAND IN SOUTH LANTAU FOR A $35 MILLION SCHEME TO IMPROVE SOUTH LANTAU ROAD WHICH LINKS CHEUNG SHA AND KEUNG SHAN.

A NOTICE TO THIS EFFECT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY. IT WILL TAKE EFFECT ABOUT ONE MONTH AFTER GAZETTING.

THE ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. DAVID TSUI, SAID THE RESUMPTION WAS NECESSARY FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO CARRY OUT A PHASED BUILDING PROGRAMME TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING ROAD.

THE TWO-LANE HIGHWAY WILL BE 11.5 KM LONG AND WILL HAVE A FOOTPATH FOR PEDESTRIANS,

MR. TSUI SAID: THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF ROAD IS USED VERY HEAVILY DURING THE SUMMER AND HOLIDAY PERIODS AND WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF LANTAU AS A RECREATION AREA WE HAVE BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT ITS CAPACITY AND THE EXTREME RISK OF ACCIDENTS.

+ IN FACT, THE SINGLE-LANE SECTION BETWEEN TONG FUK AND KEUNG SHAN HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF SEVERAL SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.

+THIS PROJECT WILL WIDEN THE ROAD, STRAIGHTEN THE SHARP BENDS AND PROVIDE A 7.3-WIDE METRE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY.

MR. TSUI SAID THE RESUMPTION WOULD INVOLVE PAYMENT OR COMPESNATION FOR CROPS, FRUIT TREES, PINE TREES, GRAVES AND BONE POTS AS WELL AS EX-GRATIA DISTURBANCE ALLOWANCES FOR AFFECTED CULTIVATORS.

+FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NO BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES INVOLVED SO THERE IS NO QUESTION OF REHOUSING, HE ADDED.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR AUGUST

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THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST SHOW A DEFICIT OF $134 MILLION AS COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $90 MILLION IN AUGUST LAST YEAR.

THIS HAS RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATED DEFICIT OF $300 MILLION FOR THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $421 MILLION FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

GROSS EXPENDITURE AT $476 MILLION WAS $35 MILLION MORE THAN THAT IN AUGUST 1975.

TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS AT $342 MILLION WAS $9 MILLION LESS THAN IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.

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