NEPC Governor to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 1999, 16:53 GMT]
The North-east Provincial Governor, Major General (ret.) Asoka Jayawardana, will pay an official visit to northern Jaffna district during the latter part of June or first week of July, said sources at the Provincial Secretariat.

Major General Asoka Jayawardana is the fourth governor of the North-east province created under the Indo-Lanka peace accord signed by the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and the President J.R. Jayawardana in 1987.

When the North-east Provincial Council (NEPC) came into existence, a former commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt.Col. Nalin Seneviratne, was appointed as the first Governor.

The second governor of the province was a civil servant, Mr.Lionel Fernando, who served Jaffna and Trincomalee districts as Government Agent. When he resigned, the actor-politician Mr.Gamini Fonseka was appointed as the third governor of the province.

Mr. Fonseka resigned from the post due to a difference of opinion with the President of the country.

On December 13 1998 Major General Asoka Jayawardana assumed office as the fourth Governor of the North east province that has had no political leadership since 1989 following the dismissal of the elected council.

Major General Asoka Jayawardana will be the first governor of the province to visit the Jaffna peninsula after the establishment of the North-east Provincial Council, Jaffna sources said.

According to provincial council sources, the governor is likely to spend three days in Jaffna, meeting heads of government departments, non-governmental organisations, co-operative institutions, teachers and welfare organisations and discuss the difficulties and shortcomings they encounter in their day to day activities, sources said.

Meanwhile, Mr.M.H.M.Ashroff, Minister of Port Development, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction said while inaugurating a two day mobile service of his ministry at the Trincomalee Sinhala Madhya Mahavidyalyam this morning said that the Trincomalee harbour has not been developed in the past because it is located in the north east province.

He added that if the Trincomalee harbour was situated out of the north east province, the future of the country would have taken a different turn.

Mr.Ashraff, speaking in all three languages, said when the present government came to power an assurance was given that all refugee camps in the island would be closed down immediately.

At that time there was no war in the country. Unfortunately, once again the war has started. However with the exception of the Jaffna district the government has been able to close down refugee camps in the other parts of the island, said the Minister.

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