Tsunami relief generators missing in Trinco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 February 2005, 03:16 GMT]
Mr.Nimal Dissanayake, Assistant Land Commissioner of the Trincomalee District Secretariat (Government Agent office) Tuesday made a complaint to the Trincomalee Police that six of the several generators donated by the Government of India to distribute to welfare centres where hundreds of tsunami victims are sheltered are missing from the store of the government land department, which is located in the Fort Frederick, police said.

Meanwhile Trincomalee Police Headquarters has made an appeal to the people through a public notice that those who have information about the theft of these generators from the land department store in the district secretariat should inform them immediately. The Police have given telephone numbers for the public to convey any information regarding this matter. The Police have assured the public that the names and other details of informants would be kept under tight secret, police said.

According to initial investigation by the Police that some employees in the land department are alleged to have involved in the theft.

After tsunami disaster number of foreign governments and international agencies donated 96 generators to the Trincomalee district secretariat to be distributed to the welfare centres where thousands of displaced from coastal areas in the district are sheltered. Of them 57 generators have been distributed through divisional offices to various temporary shelters to supply electricity. The balance 57 was kept in the store of the land department. Officials opened the store on Tuesday for checking had found 12 of the generators missing. Immediately they reported to the Police, sources said.

Instructed by Mr.Upali Hewage, Senior Superintendent of Police, Trincomalee district and under the guidance of Headquarters Inspector U.G.Gooneratne, a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr.Priyantha Weerasuriya is conducting investigation into the incident, police sources said.