Trincomalee under heavy security for Rajapaksa’s visit

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 October 2010, 15:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to preside over a conference at the Trincomalee Naval Base Monday morning to discuss development of the Eastern province that comprises the three districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai where security arrangements have been strengthened heavily. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and policemen deployed in large numbers are on patrol covering all parts of Trincomalee town.

Police personnel are visiting every house in the town and its suburbs checking family cards of the chief occupant to ensure no outsiders other than members of the family are present. Vehicles and motorbikes are subjected to checks.

Meanwhile, civil authorities have finalized all arrangements for the conference.

At least seventy representatives of the Eastern Provincial Council including chief Minister of the Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Provincial Governor Mohan Wijewickrema, Provincial Council ministers, Chief Secretary of the Eeastern Provincial Council and heads of departments of the Provincial Council are to attend the conference.

The Government Agents of the three districts Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai, Divisional Secretariries of forty-two DS divisions in the province and heads of Central Government Departments in Eastern province are also expected to participate in the conference.