Permission sought to deepen Vadamaradchi fisheries jetties

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2003, 21:47 GMT]
The Divisional Secretary (DS) of the Point Pedro division Monday requested the Jaffna Commander of the Sri Lanka Army to give permission to deepen ten fisheries jetties in the coastal areas of Vadamarachchi north including the Koddady jetty which is close to the Point Pedro high security zone, fisheries sources said.

The Point Pedro DS wrote to the Jaffna SLA commander through the Commander of the 52-4 Brigade located at Point Pedro, sources said.

The fisheries jetties located at Thondamanaru, Athikoviladi, Valvettithurai, Polikandy west, Sakkottai, Inbaruty, Supparmadam, Point Pedro point, Thumpalai east and Koddady have been identified by the DS for deepening, divisional secretariat sources said.

Meanwhile, the fisheries co-operative societies have made a request to reconstruct about 25 fisheries jetties in the peninsula which had been neglected for the past 20 years due to war. The Government Agent has now released 2.5 million rupees reconstruct ten jetties, sources said.

Jaffna district secretariat has decided that the money released is not enough to reconstruct the ten jetties. However, the District Secretariat further decided to start the work immediately with the available money. Hence the Point Pedro DS has sought permission of the SLA to start the work, sources said

The SLA meantime continues to deny permission for using heavy vehicles to deepen the jetties, sources said.