Committee to activate Trincomalee university campus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 January 2003, 15:31 GMT]
The Prime Minister has appointed a high level committee to activate the functions of the Trincomalee campus of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka following request made by the Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan. Mr. Sampanthan requested the PM to take immediate steps to develop the Trincomalee campus providing all facilities as it has been ignored by the authorities, sources said.

The committee comprises the Education Minister Mr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku, Higher Education Minister Mr.Kabir Hashim, Chairman of the University Grant Commission, Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Rector of the Trincomalee campus and educationists.

The committee will meet before the end of this month and will prepare its report to submit to the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, sources said. Mr.Sampanthan said he would meet the Prime Minister with the programme of development works to find necessary resources for its implementation

Mr.Sampanthan at Tuesday's talks held in Colombo brought to the notice of the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe that the administration of the Trincomalee campus faces severe difficulties as the University Grants Commission has not allocated students for the Faculty of Applied Science.

Mr.Sampanthan pointed out to the Prime Minister that about two hundred acres of land at Nilaveli, north of Trincomalee has been allocated for the Trincomalee campus for its development. The land is enough to establish a full-fledged university in Trincomalee. Mr.Sampanthan further told the PM that faculties of engineering and technical studies should be established in Trincomalee campus.