Problems of Northern Islanders to be addressed

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The three-decade conflict in the North and the East deprived citizens of their basic needs. The people in the North and the East were the most affected.

A segment of the Northern community underwent agony in a different way as they were isolated from the main peninsula in Jaffna. The people living in islands had to lead a miserable life unnoticed by authorities.

Lack of drinking water, transportation, livelihood, healthcare and sanitary facilities are some of the burning issues faced by the people. .

The Government under the initiative of Economic Development Ministry and with the intervention of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda and Northern province Governor Major General (retd) G. A. Chandrasiri special attention has been drawn towards solving this burning issue faced by people in the islands. According to Minister Douglas Devananda a crash program has already been launched to address the issue of drinking water in Jaffna islands. Sixteen tanks will be repaired and rehabilitated under the program.

Work in progress at the Veddukkalikulam in Delft

Minister Douglas Devananda said that 16 tanks in Karainagar, Kytes, Velanai and Delft islands and other minor tanks and ponds will be deepened and rehabilitated before the monsoon rains enabling to store rain water.

"This will enable people in Karainagar, Kytes, Velanai and Delft Islands to solve their drinking water problem and fresh water needs," Minister Douglas Devananda said addressing several meetings in Jaffna islands to review the progress of the tanks rehabilitation projects and to look into the problems faced by people in the Jaffna islands.

Over 70 percent of the work on the Veddukkali Kulam in the Delft island which commenced on August 14 with the participation of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, has been completed.

The Sri Lanka Army is providing support for this project deploying five dozers to deepen and repair tank bund. The Sri Lanka Navy and several other government institutions are extending their support for the completion of this project, the Minister pointed out.

Apart from this project the rehabilitation of tanks in Karainagar and Velani will also commence on September 11 and will be completed before the monsoons, the Minister said.

Minister Douglas Devananda presented four water bowzers for Kytes and Velanai Pradeshiya Sabhas at a ceremony in Kytes and Velani Pradeshiya Sabhas on September 9.

As a part of improving the quality of life of the people living in islands Minister Douglas Devanada also handed over Rs.1 million each for the Cooperative Society and Fisheries Cooperative Societies of the two Pradeshiya Sabhas.

For the Delft Cooperative Society and the Fisheries Cooperative Society were given Rs.2 million and Rs.3 million each as soft loans to improve their services in the Delft island.

Speedy measures were also taken to solve the education, transport and health problems in these islands by Minister Douglas Devananda and Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri during their discussion with the Velanai and Kytes Pradeshiya Sabhas.

At the Kayts Divisional Development Council meeting held at the Divisional Secretariat the people of the area, brought to the notice of the Governor and Minister, the shortcomings in the services rendered to them.

The Minister and the Governor vouched that the problems will be solved within a month. The Minister whilst promising the Velanai Pradeshiya Sabha to get them four tractors and bowzers as a measure to supply drinking water, said that he would explore the possibility of implementing a scheme for the conversion of sea water into potable water.

The lack of sanitary facilities was also emphasised at the discussions which focused on filling vacancies of doctors and nurses at hospitals in Velanai and Kayts administrative areas. When the parents pointed out that there was a shortage of teachers the Governor instructed the officials to recruit teachers for compulsory subjects on contract basis and to pay their salaries by the Provincial Council.

The Governor also promised to provide two buses for passenger transport in the islets.

The Minister and the Governor held discussions on the progress of road rehabilitation, rehabilitation of roads belonging to the Pradeshiya Sabhas and Provincial Council, supply of electricity, livestock development, new housing schemes, development of fishing industry and implementation of agricultural projects with the relevant officials.

Supplying electricity under Uthuru Vasanthaya program, houses for the homeless under Indian Housing scheme, developing the fishing industry through loan schemes by the Provincial Council and solar powered water pumps through a loan scheme to the farmers, were also discussed at this meeting.

The Northern Province Governor said that measures will be taken to restore the prawn cultivation in the Jaffna peninsula.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen to help people in the Jaffna islands as they expressed solidarity with the Government and the President at the last General Election and also at the Local Government election," the Minister Douglas Devananda said.

At the recent Local Government election the highest percentage of voters in the Delft Island voted for the United People's Freedom Alliance.

According to election results 84.33 per cent of the Delft island voted for the UPFA while 77.45 per cent of the Kytes Pradeshiya Sabha voted for the UPFA.