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.