No evacuation of people in Trinco

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Nation Building Minister Susantha Punchinilame told Parliament on Wednesday that the Government has no intention to evacuate people from any village in the Trincomalee district. "Our main objective is to create an environment where Easterners can live in peace and harmony,"he said. The Minister was responding to an adjournment motion moved by JVP MP Jayantha Wijesekara whether there is any attempt by the Eastern Provincial Council to evacuate people from several villages in the Trincomalee district.

"No one has given the authority to anybody to evacuate people from Trincomalee and the Government is committed to the well-being and welfare of civilians in a democratic manner,"he said.

"We have enhanced the resettlement process in the East by taking several measures to sort out their housing problems. Several houses are currently being constructed to resettle the people under State sponsorship. The Government has already probed into the killing of five farmers in Trincomalee yesterday. We have arranged proper security measures for the safety of the people living in these areas. Meanwhile, measures have been taken to recruit local Youth to the Civil Defence Force.

Following the humanitarian mission by the Government, a number of industries and ventures are being revived. Farmers have started paddy cultivation in 120,000 acres in this Maha season after a lapse of 20 years, since the entire Eastern Province has been liberated from the LTTE.