Governor meets NEPC officials on relief work

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 December 2004, 16:30 GMT]
Mr.Tyronne Fernando, North East Provincial Governor Monday issued directive empowering all Deputy Provincial Directors of Health Services (DPDHS) in the districts of Northeastern Province to purchase medicines urgently needed to treat Tsunami victims without waiting for the drugs from central supply store of the Health Ministry, NEPC sources said. The conference held by Mr.Tyronne Fernando was abandoned in half way when he was informed of another Tsunami wave was to hit coastal area. Discussions came to an abrupt end when Mr.Tyronne Fernando left the conference hall suddenly, sources said.

(L-R ) Parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan,Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Mr.Jayantha Wijesekara, Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam	( L-R ) Mr.Sanjay speaks while Mr.Rangarajah, Mr.Najeeb Abdul Majeed, Mr.Sampanthan and Mr.Thirairatnasingham listen

The Governor requested the officials of the NEPC to implement relief work on the war footing, co-ordinating officials concerned under one wing. A suggestion to set-up an operational room in the NEPC was also approved, sources said.

Two conferences were held Monday morning and afternoon in Trincomalee in connection with the relief work now being carried out in the district. The first one was held at the Trincomalee district secretariat and other at NEPC Secretariat.

The morning conference was presided by Mr.Gamini Rodrigo, Government and attended by four Trincomalee district parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan, K.Thurairatnasingham, Mr.Jayantha Wijesekara and Mr.Najeeb Abdul Majeed who is the Minister for Rehabilitation and Development of Trincomalee District and jaffna district MP Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam. Mr.Sanjai, Head of the Tamil Resurgence Movement in the northeast and Mr.Sivakumar, Trincomalee town political head of the LTTE also attended the conference

Divisional Secretaries of the districts submitted reports on the deaths and injured and displaced in their divisions due to the Tsunami that hit the coastal villages of the district Sunday, sources said.

Several representatives of international and national agencies said although about 684 deaths were reported in the district and this number could increase to one thousand as more dead bodies were being recovered in the affected villages, sources said.

Mr.Sanjai said flood-hit people in the LTTE controlled areas in the Muttur are not provided with any relief by the government likewise in other areas. Only the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is providing relief and cooked meals to the victims of the recent flood. Now several thousand people in the area are affected by the Tsunami. The government machinery should ensure that people in Muttur area are also distributed with government relief, he stressed.

The conference held in the afternoon presided by Mr.Tyronne Fernando was abandoned in half way when he was informed of another Tsunami wave was to hit coastal area. Thereafter the discussion came to an abrupt end when Mr.Tyronne Fernando left the conference hall suddenly, sources said.