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The Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy (RPIS) Minor Works Projects have brought significant improvements to the quality of life in the rural areas for the past four years, the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Shelley Lau, said this (Saturday) morning.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the completion of an RPIS minor works project at Kwan Mun Hau Tsuen, Tsuen Wan, Mrs Lau said: "Between 1994 and 1997, a total of 39 projects costing some $72 million have been completed in Tsuen Wan alone, while seven more projects worth $30 million are still in progress in the same district."

"Kwan Mun Hau Tsuen is unique in that it is the first resite village in the New Territories. In 1963, residents of three clans surnamed Chan, Yau and Fan at Tai Wo Hau and Kwan Mun Hau Street were resited to this village to facilitate the development of Tsuen Wan Town Centre," Mrs Lau recalled.

"But after more than 30 years of wear and tear, the common area, drainage channel and paving of the village have become worn-out.

"This state of affairs was reflected by the village elders to the Tsuen Wan District Office, and funding application for an RPIS Minor Works Project was put through for the necessary maintenance and reconstruction works to be undertaken.

"Today, I am pleased to see the results of this joint effort undertaken by the Architectural Services Department (ASD), Home Affairs Department (HAD), Tsuen Wan District Office and the villagers themselves, about 1 000 of them stand to benefit from it directly.

"This project is also typical of what can be achieved by inter-departmental co-operation and support from the potential beneficiaries of RPIS Minor Works Projects who alerted our District Officers of their needs in the first instance.

"This practice of government-community co-operation has led to the successful implementation of many projects which improved the environment and infrastructure of the rural areas," she said.

The project involved the reconstruction of 3 400 square metres of paving and 1 000 metres of covered concrete water channel. It was completed in two phases at a total cost of $1.3 million in August this year.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the representatives of Heung Yee Kuk, the Rural Committees, the Provisional District Boards of the respective districts for their unstinting support and advice, without which the government departments by themselves would not have been able to effect the improvements in the rural environment that we see throughout the New Territories," Mrs Lau said.

Mrs Lau's remarks were echoed by the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Pau Siu-hung.

Mr Pau noted that ASD and HAD have jointly undertaken some of the RPIS Minor Works Projects to improve the rural environment.

These included a wide range of maintenance works for villages, such as access roads, footpaths, slopes, pavements, piers, rain shelters, bridges, water channels and drains.

Other guests present at the ceremony marking the completion of the Kwan Mun Hau Tsuen RPIS Minor Works Project included the Chairman of the Tsuen Wan Provisional District Board, Mr Chan Lau-fong; District Officer for Tsuen Wan, Mr William Yap; village representatives of Kwan Mun Hau Tsuen, Mr Yau Kam-ping, Mr Chan Tin-yau and Mr Chan Kwok-leung; and local community leaders.

End/Saturday, November 28, 1998

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