Champoor resettlement not in agenda- Governor

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 May 2010, 18:28 GMT]
Nearly one thousand seven hundred uprooted families from traditional Tamil villages, such as Navaratnapuram, Koonitheivu, Champoor, Soodaikuda, and Kadatkaraichchenai in Moothoor east in Trincomalee district since April 2006 in the military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) will not be resettled immediately. The decision to resettle them should come from the Government of Sri Lanka, Eastern Provincial Governor Mohan Wijewickrema told a delegation of the Association of Champoor Uprooted Tamil Families that met him in the Governor's located in Trincomalee Friday, sources said.

The delegation was led by its President K.Nageswaran. Moothoor Divisional Secretary N.Selvanayagam also attended the discussion with the delegation.

The delegation brought to the notice of the Governor that a government politician Susantha Punchi Nilame visited the uprooted Tamil families now being sheltered in welfare centres in Killiveddy, Manalchenai and Pattithiddal during the electioneering and promised them that they would be resettled in their villages although they come under the so-called high security zone declared by the SLA if he won the general election in the parliamentary election that was held on April 8.

Punchi Nilame was elected from Trincomalee district and has been appointed a Minister. But his promise has not been kept.

The Association requested the Governor whether he would take steps to implement the assurance given by the government minister. But the Governor said he was not in a position to implement the assurance given by the minister.

The delegation of the Association then brought to the notice of the Governor the plight of the uprooted Tamil families now being held in huts made up of tin sheets have been suffering due to heat wave with diseases. People don not enough space to sleep or to maintain privacy, the delegation told the Governor. The families also suffer due to shortage of drinking water and water for their day to day activities.