Eastern paddy fields under the plough soon
Jayasiri Munasinghe in Trincomalee
TRINCOMALEE: Farmers in the East deprived of their lands and
agricultural activities will be able to re-start their paddy and other
cultivations within the next two weeks.
The Government has ordered Security Forces to clear all land and
anti-personnel mines laid by fleeing LTTE terrorists and enable farmers
to re-start their cultivations within the next few weeks.
Accordingly, paddy fields in Sampur, Kattaparichchan, Senuyur, Muttur,
Rakuli and a host of other areas will be brought under the plough by
farmers in these areas who suffered many hardships under LTTE clutches.
The Government's decision to allow the re-starting of agricultural
activities is a sequel to an inspection tour in the East undertaken by a
high level team comprising Presidential Senior Advisor Basil Rajapaksa,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Minister Rishard Bathiyutheen,
Co-operatives Minister Abdul Majeed and Nation Building Minister
Susantha Punchinilame on Sunday.
The Government team which laid the foundation stone for a housing
scheme at Rakuli to house displaced families of Sampur, Kattaparichchan,
Seynur and other areas also found solutions to many problems raised by
farmers in the region.
One of their main requests was permission to re-start cultivation
denied to them by the LTTE terrorists.
The team which requested the Security Forces to clear all land mines
in the area to allow free access to their lands also promised to provide
inputs such as seed paddy, fertiliser and agro-chemicals free of charge
to the farmers for their first cultivation season.
The entire programme will be supervised by a team led by Eastern
Province Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema and comprising
Trincomalee Government Agent Major General T. T. R. de Silva, Muttur
Divisional Secretary Mohamed Ghani, Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman M. I.
Thowfeek and Vice Chairman S. M. U. Jameel.
Co-ordination work with farmers and farmer organisations will be
handled by Brigade Commander Col. Jayantha Gunaratne and Muttur Police
OIC Chief Inspector A. Waheed. The visiting team also made arrangements
to rehabilitate all irrigation tanks and canals in the area immediately
until a giant irrigation scheme is launched in the long-run for the
benefit of the farmers in the area.
They also instructed officials to further relax the freedom of
movement for fishermen in the area to engage in their livelihoods and
provide them with boats, nets and other equipment needed.
The proposed housing scheme at Rakuli will be funded by the Ven.
Bodagama Chandima Chief Sangha Nayaka Thera of Thailand who was also
present. The visiting team also launched several other development
schemes in the area during their tour.
They included the commissioning of the Rs. 1.3 million Namalwattu
Electricity Scheme which will cater to residents in five Grama Niladhari
divisions in Morawewa and laying of foundation stones for a new three
storeyed building for the Trincomalee District Secretariat.
Ven. Delduwe Dhammaratana Chief Sangha Nayaka Thera of Trincomalee,
Ven. Kalutara Soma Thera, Hindu priest Kasiwedi Muthulingam, Eastern
Province Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama, Trincomalee District
Secretary Major General T.T.R. De Silva, former Parliamentarian M.K.D.S.
Gunawardena, Trincomalee Four Gravets Divisional Secretary Shashikala
Jaladeepani, CEB Chairman Udaya Sri Kariyawasam, Eastern Commander
Parakrama Pannipitiya, DIG Mahinda Balasooriya, SSP Kithsiri Dayananda,
Trincomalee SLFP district organiser Ms. Ariyawathie Galappaththi,
Seruwila Pradeshiya Sabha Member Chandrakanthi Dassanayake,
Gomarankadawala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman R.M. Ranbanda and Rakuli Grama
Niladhari M. Muniswar were also present. |