Colombo fails to provide relief to Batticaloa flood victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 2010, 01:31 GMT]
Flood victims in Batticaloa have complained that they have not received proper relief assistance for the last four days, Batticaloa District Parliamentarian P.Selvarasa told media Thursday. All the fourteen DS divisions in the Batticaloa district are under flood water and the number of affected persons has risen to 335,000.

Some of the victims have sought refuge in 57 welfare centres.

Batticaloa District Government Agent Sundaram Arumainayagam, at a meeting held in the district secretariat on Wednesday, said that 5.7 million rupees have been allocated for distributing relief and the amount would be increased depending on the rising needs.

Meanwhile, at another meeting held Thursday at the district secretariat and was attended by Sri Lankan deputy ministers, parliamentarians and government officials to review the progress of providing relief to flood victims, resettlement deputy minister said those who lost their houses would be provided with SL rupees 50,000 for partially damaged house five thousand rupees and for the crop loss 20 thousand rupees. He also claimed that 3,000 relief packets of dry rations for a period of one month had already been distributed.

However, parliamentarian Mr.Selvarasa said he had been told by flood victims when he toured the affected areas that no such relief had been provided to them but some of them in welfare centres are being provided with cooked meals.

Batticaloa Meteorology Department has recorded 170.4 mm rainfall in the district during the last 24 hours till 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Meanwhile Provincial Health Minister S.M.Subair has cautioned the people about a possible outbreak of dengue and malaria in the flood affected areas.

In the meantime, the absence of the Chief Minister (CM) in the Eastern Province has triggered allegations pointing at lack of concern by the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) administration. The CM is reported to have gone abroad on a tour, EPC sources said.

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