Kade, April 12, GNA - About 70 per cent of the population of the Kwaebibirem District now have potable water from mechanized boreholes, pipes and hand-dug wells. This was made possible due to various projects being undertaken by the district assembly with the support of the DANIDA. The District Chief Executive, Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye, who was speaking at the People's Assembly at Kade on Monday, said a 10,000-gallon water reservoir and its distribution system was nearing completion at Abaam.

On education, Mr Yiadom-Boakye said the rehabilitation and provision of additional school infrastructure was currently consuming over 65 per cent of the assembly's development expenditure in the effort to march up with the increased enrolment occasioned by the introduction of the Capitation Grant.

He said 16 new classroom blocks had been constructed in the past three years and 14 institutional places of convenience had be completed and were in use.

Touching on health, the DCE said in addition to the provision of health delivery outlets in smaller communities, the district assembly had decided to construct a theatre at the Kade Health Centre. On the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Yiadom-Boakye said the district registered 41,712 members by close of last year, thus covering a little over 20 per cent of the district population. He announced that a new registration year had opened and it was aimed at registering more than 50 per cent of the population at the close of the exercise.

An amount of about 1.8 billion cedis had been disbursed to health institutions to settle claims on behalf of patients as at the close of February 2006.

On employment generation, Mr Yaidom-Boakye said as part of the youth in crop agriculture programme, the assembly had acquired 200 acres of arable land at Abenaso and Amonom to cultivate oil palm under the President's Special Initiative on Oil Palm Programme.

During question time, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Reynolds Kwakye, gave the assurance that the police could face both criminal and civil law suits so any member of the public who felt offended by the Police could seek redress. When the Member of Parliament for Kade, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, asked why of the seven bridges spanning the Birim River only the one at Kade was collecting tools, Mr Yaw Barimah, the Eastern Regional Minister, said only the toll bridge at Kade was concrete.

However, he said, he would bring the concerns of users to the attention of the authorities. A suggestion was made for the construction of silos for produce such maize.

On roads, Mr Barimah said a contract for the re-construction of the 26-kilometre Kwabeng-Abodom road, would be awarded soon. 11 April 06