Kanniya resettlement begins after 12 years

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 July 2002, 10:11 GMT]
Displaced Tamil families from the predominantly Tamil village Kanniya, 7 km north of Trincomalee town are returning to their own land. More than one thousand families had been displaced since 1990 from Kanniya due to violence by the State armed forces. "Under the first stage, about one hundred displaced families are to be resettled ,"said Mr.Iynkaran, the Head of the LTTE’s Political Division for the Trincomalee district Sunday.

Mr.Iynkaran Sunday personally supervised the resettling process now being undertaken by the Eastern Human Economic Development, Methodist Church and Trincomalee District Development Association at Kanniya, where the historic hot wells are located.

These organisations have come forward to provide necessary roofing materials to occupants of "Ten Houses Scheme" at Kanniya. These houses had been occupied by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers since 1990.

"Ten House Scheme" at Kanniya where the first stage resettlement is to take place. (Photo:TamilNet)

Some displaced families Sunday visited the area and were seen clearing overgrown shrub jungles covering their houses in the "Ten Houses Scheme" project, TamilNet sources said.

An SLA official stationed at Kanniya met Mr.Iynkaran who was on the spot Sunday morning with the displaced and asked details about the resettlement project. Mr.Iynkaran replied that villagers who had been driven out of the area since 1990 are to be resettled in their own lands.

Mr.Iynkaran requested the army officer to co-operate with them to resettle the displaced who are now living in welfare centres and refugee camps.



(Photos above): A displaced family cleaning their house and the premises at " Ten Houses Scheme" and an SLA official stationed at Kanniya speaks to Mr.Iynkaran, the Head of the LTTE’s political section, Trincomalee district.

Except few brick houses, houses with cadjan roofs had been destroyed. Several hamlets, such as Peeliyadi, Sirupiddy, 6th milepost, Mankaiyootu, Ravanan Veethi in the Kanniya village will be brought under the resettlement project, NGO sources said.

Mr.Iynkaran said every resettled family will be provided with roofing and other necessary materials worth minimum Rs 12,000/= by non-governmental organisations, which have come forward to assist the project.

Arrangements have been made to provide drinking water daily by bowzers. Depending on the progress of the resettlement, Kanniya Tamil School now functioning at Alas Garden refugee centre where most of the displaced families from Kanniya live, would be relocated at Kanniya, the NGO sources said.

The Nadesar Temple at Sivayogapuram in Kanniya had been destroyed in 1990 violence. The temple is to be reconstructed under the resettlement process, sources said.

The destroyed Kanniya-Sivayogapuram Nadesr Temple (Photo:TamilNet)