Solar energy sources for Vanni farmers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 November 1998, 18:50 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government is considering a plan to set up solar energy sources in the Vanni to help farmers in the region who have been affected by the severe restriction on supply of kerosene oil and the ban on other fuels, said D.M.U.Jayaratne , Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture.

Answering a question at a press conference this morning in Colombo, he said the government does not want to send fuel to the Vanni because the Liberation Tigers are making use of it to make bombs.

However, he pointed out that the government understands that there is no normalcy in the Vanni.

He further stated that the Sri Lankan President is thinking of sending a group of government officials to the Vanni to study the situation in that region.

Commenting on the UNP's recent proposal that the government should soon send a delegation comprising two People's Alliance MP's, two of its own MP's along with government officials to report on the crisis in the Vanni, the minister said the government cannot accept it because, the security of the MPs cannot be guaranteed.

The press conference was held at the Ministry of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture in Colombo today.