IDPs urge re-opening of Vadamarachchi-Nagarkovil road

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 May 2004, 17:09 GMT]
The Association of Nagarkovil Internally Displaced Families (ANIDF) in Jaffna district Saturday appealed to Sri Lanka's President Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge to take steps to re-open the Vadamarachchi-Nagarkovil main road for civilian movement, sources said.

The Sri Lanka Army closed down this road for civilian movement and other transport activities with the military operation launched in the area in the year 2000.

The agricultural development activities in the Vadamarachchi division has come to a stand still after the closure of Vadamarachi-Nagarkovil main road, ANIDF said in its memorandum to Ms.Kumaratunge, sources said.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said that they are not against the re-opening of the Vadamarachchi-Nagarkovil main road.

However, the Sri Lanka Army is not willing to re-open the road citing security reasons, the memorandum pointed out.

"We appeal that action be taken to re-open the Vadamarachchi-Nagarkovil main road on a humanitarian measure to assist the resettled internally displaced families," the memorandum said.