Jaffna well stocked for Deepavali

Navy ensures smooth food supply:

by Ananth Palakidnar

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Hundreds of sailors despite the inclement weather unloaded essential foodstuff that was sent for the Deepavali festival to the Jaffna peninsula by the merchant vessels, Nimalawa and Ruhuna which came under attack by the LTTE last week in the northern seas. Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda personally supervised the unloading of essential food items by his men at the Myliddy harbour near Kankesanthurai in Jaffna yesterday.

Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake told the Sunday Observer that the motive behind the LTTE’s attack on the merchant vessels, Ruhuna and Nimalawa was to create a huge shortage of essential food items during the Deepavali festive season in the peninsula and to thwart the efforts of the Government to ensure the smooth supply of essential items to the north during the festive season.”The navy not only thwarted the move of the LTTE but also ensured that the Jaffna civilians celebrate Deepavali without any hindrance. The attempts by the sea Tigers to overrun the two merchant vessels carrying foodstuff to the north were repulsed successfully by the Navy and the ships were escorted safely to the Myliddy harbour where the unloading of foodstuff was carried out by the sailors.

The merchant ship, Ruhuna carried 3,800 mt tonnes of essential items and the vessel, Nimalawa carried 2,350 mt tonnes of foodstuff,” Commander Dassanayake said. Navy Chief Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda who witnessed the unloading of the food items despite the bad weather conditions yesterday praised his men and said that the safety of the merchant vessels that carry essential food items to Jaffna would be ensured with the Navy intensifying its security measures in the north and east seas,Commander Dassanayake said.

Government Agent, Jaffna K. Ganesh said there was no shortage of food and other essential items in the peninsula during the Deepavali festive season.

Informed sources said that traders in Jaffna were furious over the LTTE’s attack last week on the ships that carried the essential items to Jaffna and staged a hartal throughout the peninsula in protest against the atrocities of the LTTE. The Jaffna town area was packed with civilians for Deepavali shopping and security was also strengthened to prevent any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, the foodstuff sent by the Government to the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts also reached safely and the Government Agents in the two districts confirmed that they have enough foodstuff GA, Vavuniya Mrs. Charles said.