Steering Committee to ensure security

A Steering Committee will be appointed with the Northern Province Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri as the Head to ensure the proper coordination of a security mechanism to remove the sense of insecurity felt by the people due to a series of unusual activities carried out by suspicious characters.

This was revealed by Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha at a meeting held at the Jaffna District Secretariat on September 6. He attended the meeting as the special envoy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Steering Committee will comprise religious leaders, parliamentarians, Commander Security Forces-Jaffna (SF-J), Senior DIG Jaffna and community leaders. The development committees currently in effect will be integrated to this system to make it more effective at Brigade and Battalion level.

Jaffna (SF-J) Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe outlined the security measures taken by the Security Forces and Police.

He requested all participants to corporate with the Police to maintain law and order without attempting to take the law into their hands following misleading instructions of interested parties with ulterior motives.

Ven. Meegahajandure Sirivimala Thera said various political hands and sections with western influence should not be allowed to disrupt the peace gained after thirty years. Saroja Sivasankar, an activist who attended the meeting requested to bring these suspicious persons before the law and restore normalcy.

Jaffna University lecturers added that some unidentified elements are attempting to disrupt the good rapport between the Security Forces and civilians in Jaffna. Indian Catholic Church Bishop Rev Fr. Dr. Thiyagaraja, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development Minister Douglas Devananda, Additional Government Agent Varthani Rupasingham, Senior DIG Gamini Silva, General Commanding Officers of three Divisions, high-ranking administrative, military and government officials, and civil representatives attended the meeting.