Compensation for Mavilaru farmers from Monday
Uditha Kumarasinghe and Vindya Hewavitharana
COLOMBO: The Government has completed its valuation of paddy
lands destroyed by the LTTE's Mavilaru water blockade, to expedite
compensation payment to farmer victims.
The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) will commence to
pay compensations to farmers from next Monday. The Government through
the AAIB has made valuation of nearly 8,000 acres of paddy lands
belonging to nearly 3,000 farmers destroyed following the LTTE's move to
close the sluice gates of Mavilaru anicut, Agrarian Services and Farmer
Community Development Minister S. M. Chandrasena told a media briefing
yesterday.
The Government has decided to compensate each farmer to a maximum of
Rs. 25,000 for each acre of destroyed paddy lands. Rs. 150 million has
been allocated to grant the compensation to farmers, the Minister said.
According to Chandrasena, the AAIB has already completed the
valuation on all affected paddy lands in Thopur, Ichchalampattu,
Kiliveddi, Muttur, Mattampodichetai, Seruwila, Serunuwara, Alla, Kantale
and Mahindapura farmer colonies which fall under the purview of
Trincomalee district. The AAIB will grant this compensation to all
farmers whose paddy cultivations were severely affected as a result of
the water blockade by the LTTE, he said.
The Minister said farmers have to be immediately granted the
compensations to recommence their cultivation. Therefore, the Ministry
will obtain Rs. 150 million from the Trust Fund of AAIB Farmer Pension
Scheme to pay these compensations. The Treasury has agreed to refund
this Rs. 150 million to the Trust Fund.
Meanwhile, the AAIB has also decided to extend this compensation to
farmers who have cultivated their paddy lands without permits or those
not included in the formal lists, he said.
The Government has also decided to grant further relief assistance to
all displaced farmers until they recommence their cultivation activities
and to provide facilities to farmers to resume their cultivation at the
next season, the Minister said. |