Officials opposing Sinhala encroachment threatened with transfer

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 March 2011, 12:10 GMT]
Tamil Divisional Secretaries in the eastern province are facing transfer threats due to the non-co-operation to implement Mahinda Chinthanaya in the Eastern Province in allowing encroachment by Sinhalese in Tamil villages. Already, Divisional Secretaries of the two DS divisions Koa'ra'laip-pattu South and Koa'ra'laip-pattu North in Batticaloa district are said to be informed of their transfer, sources in Eastern province said.

Koa'ra'laip-pattu DS Mr.M.Thavarasa has been taking a tough stand against encroachments of lands belonging to Tamils located in villages Vadamunai, Oottuchcheanai, Kallichchai, Navanave'li, in Koa'ra'laip-pattu DS division by hundreds of Muslim villagers from Kaaththaankudi, Ea'ravoor, Oaddaamaavadi, and Vaazhich-cheanai. The DS ordered all Muslim villagers to leave the encroached lands and return to their villages.

The Muslim villagers complained to Deputy Minister Mr.M.L.A.M.Hisbullah, the latter has been taking steps to transfer the DS.

Meanwhile, encroachment by Sinhalese is also taking place in Tamil villages Vadamunai and Oottuchcheanai.

The Koa'ra'laip-pattu North Divisional Secretary Miss A.Rahulanayaki is also under threat of transfer as she has been opposing the annexation of Tamil border villages Thoa'ni-thaa'nda-madu and Panichchangkea'ni in her division with the Sinhalese dominated Polonnaruwa district.

In the meantime Mr.Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Provincial Land Minister of the Eastern Province, accused the Colombo government for forcibly acquiring valuable lands in the east without informing the Provincial Council.

He said already the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa had forcibly acquired more than ten thousand acres without informing the provincial authorities.