Eastern leaders seek meeting with Singh

Senior leaders of eastern Sri Lanka, including Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, want to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the island nation for the SAARC Summit to discuss with him developmental issues confronting their region.

Apart from Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, senior minister in Eastern Provincial Council M L A M Hisbullah would seek a meeting with Singh, who is scheduled to attend the SAARC summit beginning late next month.

"We will seek a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the developmental issues confronting eastern Sri Lanka.

I and the Chief Minister and other leaders plan to discuss the proposals with him," Hisbullah said.

Hisbullah, who narrowly lost the chief ministership race and was given ten portfolios as a senior minister, said he and the CM were putting in place various plans to develop the eastern region, where elections were held on May 10.

The Muslim leader holds the portfolios of health and indigenous medicine, social welfare, probation and child care services, women's affairs, youth affairs, sports, information technology education, cooperative development, food supply and distribution of the eastern province.

Chandrakanthan, a former LTTE strongman, heads the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) Party.

Hisbullah said out of the ten ministries given to him, four were a new creation for which a model was being prepared with the help of a committee of secretaries.

"I am working with the Chief Minister for incorporating the Tamil Nadu model for strengthening the programmes under the Youth Affairs Ministry," Hisbullah said.

The Muslim leader asserted that he and Chandrakanthan had good coordination and were working "over 15 hours" to accelerate the development programmes for the Eastern Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, normalcy has virtually returned to the east where curfew had been imposed last week in the town of Kattankudy following the slaying of two members of the TMVP that sparked clashes leading to the death of two others.

"The situation is fast returning to normality and we are working towards maintaining peace and tranquility amongst Tamils, Muslims and Sinhala communities," Hisbullah said.

Zee News