Resettled families in Kudumpimalai village suffer without basic facilities

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2011, 00:21 GMT]
Resettled Tamil families in Kudumpimalai village in Koa'ralaippattu south DS division in east resettled about two years ago have complained to non-governmental organizations that they are not being provided with basic facilities. NGO representatives who visited the village recently were told that about 150 families were resettled but only 25 houses constructed by NECCDEP had been handed over to the families.

Basic facilities including pipe-borne water, education, medical and transport facilities are not provided to the village.

Kiraan Pirathesa Sabai has been supplying drinking water but not very regularly, according to the affected families. People are using tank water for other purposes.

One bus deployed by the Ceylon Transport Board that provided transport to the resettled families has been suspended without notice. Hence pregnant mothers and children are forced to walk to the rural dispensary located kilometers away from the village.

Students in Kumaran Viththiyaalayam in the village are taught up to Year 5. They are forced seek admission in a school that is located in Kiraan-Chanthive'li area fifty kilometers away from Kudumpimalai. Hence majority of students who complete Grade 5 are forced to abandon their education.

Resettled families in several villages in Paduvaankarai area are also living without basic facilities.

Families say that they still find difficult to obtain drinking water amid claims by the Resettlement Deputy Minister, Batticaloa District Government Agent and other ruling party politicians that all basic facilities are provided to these villages. NGO officials disputed these claims.