No Pongkal celebrations for resettled Champoor Tamils in 2017

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2017, 21:54 GMT]
Tamil families who resettled in the lands released in Champoor after being uprooted from their native village for 10 years, complain that they have been abandoned without basic infrastructure or basic facilities. There have been no compensation for the destruction caused by the SL State on their property. Even the promise of providing dray rations for 6 months was not kept by the SL President Maithiripala Sirisena. The people were not able to celebrate Pongkal festival as they were among the hardest hit by the drought.



All Tamil politicians, including Mr R. Sampanthan, the opposition leader, who hails from Trincomalee promised to ensure delivery of assistance to proper resettlement. But, all of them have failed to act, says Ms Selvakumar Hemalatha.

“In three months, by March 2017, it will be one year since we commenced our resettlement. Still, there are no basic facilities such as potable water, wells or toilets. There is no livelihood assistance. No jobs. SL President was promising dry rations for at least 6 months. Our family is yet to witness provision of dry rations for a single month so far,” she said.

“The Coal Power Plant project has been scrapped, we lear. But, the people are yet to regain their lands seized for the project”, she further said.

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