2nd Lead (Adds photos)

Trinco sanitary workers demonstrate for land rights

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 15:52 GMT]
Sanitary workers employed by the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) Wednesday held a five-hour demonstration in front of the UC office demanding that they should be provided with deeds and permits for the lands they are living in for more than half a century. More than five hundred people, men and women including family members of the workers, participated in the protest demonstration, which was organized by the Community Leaders' Consortium (CLC).

Selvam Adaikalanathan with protesting sanitation workers in Trincomalee

The demonstration began Wednesday morning around nine a.m. and concluded at about 1 p.m. Vanni district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan participated in the protest.

The sanitation work in the Trincomalee town came to a standstill following the demonstration, UC sources said.

Women workers participating in the protest

Health workers residing in the areas of Kasthurinagar, Ghandinagar, Nagarajah Valavu, Manaiyaveli, Poompuhar, Palaiootu east, Chelvanayakapuram and Uthayapuri west participated in the protest.

Health workers are living on state and urban council lands since 1942 and all are Tamils.

CLC in a statement said that it has brought to the notice of the related civil authorities and parliamentarians the urgent need of handing over deeds and permits for lands to health workers. However, relevant authorities have not taken any steps to fulfill their demand. As a last resort the Consortium has decided to launch the protest campaign, the statement said.



Protesting sanitation workers