SLA releases a fifth of the paddy fields in Thenmaradchi HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 15:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday said it has released about one thousand acres from the high security zone in the Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district for paddy cultivation. The area declared as HSZ in Thenmaradchi by the SLA in 1999, and in effect since then, girdles more than five thousand acres of paddy fields, farmers’ association sources said.

The farmers Thursday said, however, that it is still not safe to enter the paddy fields released for cultivation as no responsible authorities have ensured the area free of landmines and anti- personal mines, according to the Kaithady Divisional Agricultural Officer, Mr.S.Varatharasa.

According to SLA sources, the paddy lands released are located one hundred meters west to the Chavakachcheri-Thanankilappu road, bounded in the north by Navatkuli-Kerativu road and in the south by a railway line.

SLA officials in the area Thursday morning took the Planning Officer of the Thenmaradchchi division, Mr.S.Yoganandam, and Grama Sevaka (village level) Officers of the area, and showed them the paddy fields, District Secretariat sources said

SLA officials further told the civil authorities that farmers could go to the paddy fields through the Nunavil-Kollankirai area too, sources said.

Representatives of farmers further pointed out that the released paddy fields belong to farmers resettled in Chavakachcheri and not those in Thanankilappu, Maravanpulo, Kohilakandy, Kaithady and Navatkuli villages.

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