Rebuilding Trinco fishing industry discussed

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 January 2005, 03:09 GMT]
"International community has understood the need for an administrative authority to channel foreign aid to the Tsunami devastated northeast province. Foreign funds are likely to be available for the reconstruction of northeast through an authority or for the implementation of identified specific projects. Hence we can expect an equitable proportion of foreign aid to Tsunami destroyed northeast province," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian and the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) addressing a conference on rebuilding Tsunami destroyed fishing industry in Trincomalee district, sources said.

Mr.Sanjai speaking while Mr.Sampanthan (L) and Mr.Thurairatnasingham (R)

Mr.Sanjai, senior activist of the LTTE Trincomalee district political division presided over the conference held Wednesday morning at Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam.

The present task before the Tamil speaking people is to formulate reconstruction and development projects which will compensate for the loss not only by Tsunami but also by the discriminatory policies adopted by successive Sri Lanka Governments for the last fifty years, said Mr.Sampanthan.

More than hundred representatives from Fisheries Societies in the Trincomalee district from Manaiyaweli to Salli, north of the district attended the conference.

They were briefed about the relocation of their residences beyond three hundred meters from the shore from the earlier sites, which are located very close to seashore, sources said.

Several fisheries representatives said they are prepared for the relocation of their residences beyond 300 meters from the shore. However they said they would maintain boat yards and worksites at the present areas where they lived till Tsunami disaster, sources said.

Mr.Sanjai said the government would not have any development plan for the Trincomalee district. If it has one then it would be for the welfare of Sinhalese, not for Tamil speaking people. Tamil speaking people should not lose confidence after the disaster but to double their efforts to rebuild the Tamil nation, Mr.Sanjai added.