Govt will send food convoy despite LTTE threats

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

COLOMBO: The Government is ready to take the risk of transporting essential goods to Jaffna via the Muhamalai entry/exit point despite LTTE objections, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

Addressing the media at the weekly security press briefing, the Minister said Essential Services Commissioner S.B. Divaratne is going ahead with the process on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to transport essential food items to Jaffna via A-9.

"The Government has taken such risks on behalf of the people and we will go ahead with our plans this time too despite LTTE objections," the Minister said.

He pointed out that the Commissioner General of Essential Services has already published a newspaper advertisement requesting lorries to transport food items to the Jaffna peninsula. "We are expecting to take 500 lorry loads of essential food items in a one-off run," the Minister added.

Minister Rambukwella said though the LTTE speaks about the Government starving the people in Jaffna they are preventing the people from receiving food by threatening them not to patronise Army welfare shops and Cooperative shops.

Minister Rambukwella said the Government has transported 36,000 tonnes of food stocks to Jaffna since the closure of the Muhamalai entry exit point on August 11.

"This is three times the essential foods sent to the Jaffna peninsula in the first seven months of the year [when the road was fully open]," he noted.

The Minister said only an average of 300 food lorries have been sent to Jaffna per month before the closure of the Muhamalai entry exit point.

The Minister said that things are not hundred per cent perfect in Jaffna peninsula and the distribution of food has become a problem due to inclement weather conditions and LTTE threats.

"We expect to keep a buffer food stock by sending this food convoy to Jaffna via Muhamalai," the Minister added.