SLA blocks deepening Northern jetties

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 16:33 GMT]
Discussions held Tuesday between the officials of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and representatives of Vadamaradchchi fisheries societies ended without resolving the dispute over deepening of about twenty one fisheries jetties covered with tsunami debris along the northern coast of Jaffna district. SLA demanded that work can only be carried out under SLA procedures and supervision citing security reasons. The fisheries representatives opposed SLA's conditions, sources said.

The conference was held in the SLA 52-4 brigade headquarters located in the Point Pedro harbour area.

Colonel Ratnayake and other officials represented the SLA. Mr.S.Sivasamy, Jaffna Additional Government and members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna also participated in the conference, sources said.

However only a few representatives of fishing societies participated in the conference, which lasted for about thirty minutes. Representatives of fisheries co-operative societies walked out of the conference accusing the SLA of intransigence, sources said.