July 1983 destroyed Trinco rice mill resumes operation

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 June 2003, 01:39 GMT]
The only rice mill of the Trincomalee Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) destroyed twenty year ago in the 1983 July pogrom resumed operation on Sunday morning at Love lane area in Uppuveli in the outskirts of east port town after being reconstructed at a cost 2.1 million rupees, MPCS sources said.

Trinco MPCS women employees boil milk at he auspicious time at the newly reconstructed rice mill

"We applied for compensation for the destruction of the mill which was functioning from 1962 till 1983 June. But the government has not paid a single cent upto now as compensation. Now we have reconstructed the destroyed building with MPCS's own money," said the President of Trincomalee MPCS Mr.P.Jegatheewaran who is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Local Government.

Trincomalee MPCS is considered one of the best co-operative institutions in the northeast, NE provincial Cooperative departmental official said.

It has 31 branches in the in the Trincomalee town and its suburbs including model shops and two-storied co-operative complex with an annual turnover of 450 million rupees, President Mr. Jegatheeswaran said.


MPCS President Mr.Jegatheeswaran putting the first bag of paddy into the machine while Chief Priest Ravichchandrakurukkal blesses


The history of the Trincomalee MPCS goes back to more than fifty years. At the start it was called Trincomalee co-operative society. Its founder President and Secretary were Muhandirum C.Muttucumaru and Mr.N.R.Rajavarothiam respectively.

Mr.Rajavarothiam later was elected a member of parliament from the Trincomalee electorate in 1952 general election on the Federal Party ticket. In 1971 the government brought an amendment to the co-operative society act to changes its name as Multi-purpose Co-operative Society. Since then Trincomalee MPCS has played a vital role in developing the economy of the east port district, sources said.


Trincomalee MPCS general manager Mr.T.Balagengatharan shows first rice from the mill to NE Provincial Commissioner of Co-operative Development Mr.Subramaniam Sharma, Assistant Commissioner Mr.Murugesu and Provincial Director of Rural Development Department Mr.Ilanko


The Trincomalee MPCS is said to have drawn up a plan to run the rice mill profitably.

"Most of our members are farmers. We have decided to purchase paddy from member-farmers at the guaranteed price. We will mill the paddy in our mill and will sell it to the people of the district at a reasonable price," said MPCS President Mr.Jegatheewaran.

The chief priest of Trincomalee Pathirakali Ambal temple Bramasiri S.Ravichchandrakurukkal performed pooja. North East Provincial Commissioner of Co-operative Development Mr.S.Subramanaiam Sharma ceremonially switched on the machine.


Reconstructed Trincomalee MPCS rice mill