SLA again stops work on NECORD project in VVT

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 September 2003, 18:12 GMT]
Vadamaradchi fishermen Monday began work on micro breakwater for mooring fishing boats and deepening boat-mooring space inside these in Valvettithurai (VVT), Inbaruty and Thumpalai coastal areas, defying the ban on the project by the Sri Lanka Army, and tension arose when the SLA rushed to the area, and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) had to intervene to keep the situation under control, sources said.

However, following an emergency discussion held between the SLA officials, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam, members of the SLMM and representatives of the fisheries societies, the Valvettithurai fishermen decided to suspend their work on deepening boat mooring space temporarily, sources said.

Meanwhile, the SLA has invited the representatives of the fisheries societies for a conference on this matter on Wednesday at the headquarters of the 524 Brigade, which is located in the Point Pedro high security zone, sources said.

The VVT fishermen Monday around 11 in the morning began work on deepening the boat mooring space, defying the SLA's order, as stated by the President of the Athikoviladi Fishermen's Cooperative Society, Mr. Selliah Kuttithamby, to TamilNet Sunday, sources said.

The project to construct five micro-breakwaters and to deepen the boat mooring area inside these was supported by the Northeast Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) project, which provided 2.5 million rupees (26,000 USD) for the work, according to an official of the Federation of Fisheries' Societies in Jaffna.

The official said that permission to proceed with the project had been obtained from the SLA. In imposing the ban on the project now, the SLA has reneged on the agreement.