Construction work on Oluvil harbour begins in October

COLOMBO: Construction work on the proposed Oluvil harbour project in the Eastern Province is scheduled to begin in October this year.

This follows a decision taken by Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa and Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rauff Hakeem at a meeting held at the Parliamentary Complex on Thursday, August 9.

A Press release by the Ports and Telecommunications Ministry said that during this meeting Minister Hakeem and Science and Technology Deputy Minister and Digamadulla District MP Faisal Cassim stressed the need to accelerate the development of Oluvil as a Commercial and Fisheries Harbour and resolve the resultant problems fishermen in the area would confront after the construction of the harbour.

It was agreed to appoint a Ministerial Committee to oversee the relocation of families displaced by the harbour project.

Fourteen families already identified for relocation would be provided with land in extent of 20 perches each and raw material for building alternative houses. It was also agreed to provide a 40 perch plot of land for building a mosque for the relocated families.

It was also agreed to look into the problems encountered by Ma-del fishermen and make compensation payments for them.

Sir Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Saliya Wickremasuriya, Deputy Chairman B. Wickrama, Oluvil Port Officer Nagor Thambi and representatives of the Oluvil Fishing Community attended the meeting.