Tsunami hit Trinco fishermen receive help

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 04:05 GMT]
Tsunami-hit fishermen of coastal areas in the Trincomalee town are to receive assistance from Trincomalee branch of the Economic Consultancy House (TECH) to buy fishing gear. An event to mark the first phase of the project was held in the office of the Pallathoddam Rural Development Society hall in Uppuveli, a suburb of the east port town, civil sources said. Twenty seven fishermen of Pallathoddam village who lost their belongings in tsunami received new sets of fishing gear at the event.

Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham Trincomalee district parliamentarian was the chief guest. Trincomalee TECH district co-ordinator Mr.N.Kalaisangar presided.

Mr.Kalaisangar said the Trincomalee TECH has already conducting computer education classes to rural children in the Trincomalee district and it has implemented a scheme to provide drinking water to several villages in the Eachchilampathu division in the Muttur east.

Parliamentarian Mr.Thurairatnasingham said northeast has been ignored by the Colombo governments in power since the country gained political independence. War has also ruined the economy of the province. Now the tsunami has hit the coastal areas of the province worsening the lives of the people further. Even now the Colombo government is ignoring the reconstruction of the devastated province though about 70 percent damage and destruction caused by the tsunami has been in the northeast according to a study by international aid agencies, he said.

"We are not against reconstructing the tsunami hit southern province but due share should be given to the northeast," said Mr.Thurairatnasingham.

"We will not hesitate organize mass agitation if the government continues its discrimination without heeding to our just demands," said Mr.Thurairatnasingham.

Mr.S. Jesuthasan, Secretary of the Trincomalee District Refugees' Welfare Association and several others also spoke.