SLA orders MPCS to take the long road

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 1999, 16:47 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army SLA permitted the opening of a Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) store in the village of Maamunai on the southeastern coast of Jaffna for the first time after four years. The shop was opened yesterday. However, the army has stipulated that the goods for the shop obtained at the MPCS in Pt.Pedro town cannot be brought on the Maruthankerni road to Maamunai.

The manager of the Maamunai MPCS branch has to first secure clearance from the Nagar Kovil army camp for the goods he wants to obtain from the Pt.Pedro MPCS. The goods, according to the army order, have to be brought from Pt.Pedro to Chavakachcheri and then through Eluthumadduvaal to Nagar Kovil and from there to Maamunai, a distance of 48 kilometers.

The distance from Pt.Pedro to Maamunai on the Maruthangkerni road, however, is less than 24 kilometers lamented MPCS sources in Vadamaradchi east today. This will raise the cost of the goods that can be sold at the Maamunai shop they said.