Rapid development:

Restoration of East - valour of troops

Dhaneshi YATAWARA

When the LTTE closed the Mavil Aru sluice gates on July 20 in 2006, rendering 15,000 acres of paddy fields into bare land and 30,000 farmers helpless, the Government thought `enough is enough’. By then people were suffering, the entire North and East was severely affected by the iron clutches of the Tigers, not to mention the fear and anxiety the rest of the country was experiencing.

In order to free the people and the area from the grip of terror, the Sri Lanka Army launched the humanitarian operation to recapture the Mavil Aru anicut. In less than two weeks Army succeeded in reopening the sluice gates and chasing away the terrorists from the vicinity.

Starting July 20, 2006 from capturing the Mavil aru sluice gates to taking the Thoppigala (Baron’s Cap) along with the LTTE’s `Thora Bora Base’ complex by July 11, 2007 Sri Lankan Security Forces, determination to liberate the East gathered momentum. The Security Forces continued to flush out terrorism until they re-captured the last inch of our motherland with the same courage and determination.

The new Arugam Bay bridge

If not for the heart and will of our soldiers we will not enjoy our lives to the utmost. We are in clean shoes while a soldier’s toe is getting dirty and muddy in the jungles and mud puddles in the Forward Defence Lines.

Simultaneously, the Police elite Force, the Special Task Force (STF), carried out another operation in the Kanjikudichcharu jungles in the Ampara District.

During a month-long operation to eradicate terrorism from these areas, the STF captured a number of LTTE strongholds. Due to the excessive pressure from the Police elite forces, Tiger cadres in the jungle were forced to retreat in all directions. This capture blocked the hidden supply routes of the LTTE towards Vakarai and its vicinity from Thoppigala area which had been a Tiger stronghold in the Eastern Theatre.

Liberated

Over 200,000 people were displaced in the entire Eastern Province since they left their homes and reached the safety of the Sri Lanka Security Forces taking just a handful of assets in fear of LTTE offensives.

Soon after the whole of the Eastern Theatre was liberated from the ruthless grip of the LTTE Tigers, the Government initiated short and long term development programmes. With the restoration of peace and order, one of the main tasks performed was resettlement under the Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services. The Ministry had to launch special projects to resettle people in their native places ensuring their safety while conducting an accelerated project.

At present, almost every single displaced person is resettled in their native places in the Eastern Province. In the Batticaloa District 89 percent out of the total of displaced people were resettled by end of 2008, the Ministry’s latest statistics reveal. Out of the total 145,416 people displaced in the Batticaloa 129,804 were resettled in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In addition, 17,316 people out of the total displaced in Batticalo, who were originally from Trincomalee were resettled in their original lands in Trincomalee within this period. By end of 2007, 77 percent of the total displaced number was resettled.

In the Trincomalee district by 2008, out of the total number 69,705 people were resettled which is 88 percent of the entire number.

The rest of the resettlement programme is continuing at an accelerated phase in the entire Eastern Province. Under the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services gave priority to ensure the security of affected people. Accordingly, action was taken to issue dry rations, clothes and kitchen utensils for each family. Public places and essential services such as hospitals, schools and roads had to be cleared and reconstructed with the ongoing resettlement programme.

It is worthy to highlight that even amidst heavy security restrictions, the Eastern Province resettlement programme was conducted under norms and ethics of the relevant international conventions Sri Lanka has agreed to adhere to.

With this exemplary achievement the Sri Lankan Government showed to the world that resettlement of IDPs can be done in a very dignified manner with the consent of the affected people creating a safe and secure society wherein all would have equal rights and freedom.

The efforts effectively tapped the existing resources in the area uplifting least developed areas, like Vakarai to model villages developed with all the facilities and infrastructure facilities.

Rapid development

The Government allocated large amount of resources through the 2006 - 2009 budgetary framework for a number of programmes under the `Mahinda Chinthana, `Gama Neguma’ programme aiming at rapid development and poverty reduction.

The Ministry of Nation Building was directed to implement the `Negenahira Navodaya’ programme and projects including the `Gama Neguma’ through a synergized mechanism for the proper resource allocation and coordination ensuring maximum benefit for the people of the Eastern region.

Area specific development was identified as an effective way to meet the development needs and priorities of the respective districts.

The development takes place in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee in an equitable manner taking into account the population density, territorial extent, poverty and the status of underdevelopment.

The Eastern revival also focuses on livelihood development which aims at expanding livelihood opportunities and improving the living conditions of households at grass roots levels. These activities mainly focused on electricity, drinking water, irrigation and livelihood development.

These projects connected the Eastern Province with other regions of the country especially with national level mega infrastructure development projects. All these resettlement and development projects played a catalytic role in boosting commercial activities in the Eastern Province.

If the East was not liberated from the iron grip of the LTTE by our valiant soldiers laying down their lives for their motherland, restoration of discipline, development and democracy would have been just another dream.