LLRC members visit Palai Central College:

Poor Tamil knowledge hinders interaction - Residents

Chaminda Perera in Palai

The members of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission led by its Chairman C R de Silva PC yesterday inspected the Palai Central College where most students are studying under trees. They conducted this inspection on the request of people who gave evidence before the Commission when it met at the Pachchalaipallai Divisional Secretariat yesterday. They said Police officers who can converse in Tamil with the people in the area should be deployed.

“People find it difficult to interact with them as the police officers do not have a knowledge of Tamil,” they added.

M Rajaratnam, a resident of Palai on behalf of the people in the area requested Commission members to inspect what has actually happened to the school and take appropriate action to provide all facilities.

Almost all buildings of the school have been destroyed due to the war and are beyond repair. There are only two buildings with cadjan roofs. The roofs of these two buildings have been destroyed by LTTE shelling and have been replaced with cadjan by students and the teachers.

Chairman de Silva PC said he received information that the Government has allocated over Rs 141 million to construct a new school in the same premises. The Divisional Secretary said the issue came under discussion at the Killinochchi District Development Committee meeting and construction will start soon.

He said the Commission will persuade the Government and the Ministries to expedite the project soon and inquire from the Divisional Secretary whether there were any bottlenecks to expedite the project. Rajaratnam told the Commission that the Government should focus on the development of educational and health sector in the division.

“Educational and health needs should receive priority”, he added.

He said the Pachchalaipallai Divisional Secretariat Division is located at the end tip of the Killinochchi district bordering the Jaffna district and they always get step-motherly treatment.

Rajaratnam said the Government should ensure better education for the younger generation and prevent them from being driven away by various elements.

He said that heavy fighting erupted in the area between Forces and the LTTE. “The people in the division had to suffer a lot due to war,” he added.

Rajaratnam said their hospital in the area does not function well. “A retired doctor comes to the hospital but he can not cater to the health needs of the public”.

Rajaratnam stressed the importance of addressing the unemployment problem in the division. “A source of income for the youth will ensure that they cannot be misled by persons or organizations with vested interests” he said. Rajaratnam appealed to the Government to uplift the economic condition of the people by creating employment opportunities in the area either in public sector or private sector.

He said young mothers and their children still wait to see their husbands who a reported missing.

He added there are large number of widows in the division without a proper income.