CEB, BOI scheme permanent occupation of 600 acres of cultivation lands in Champoor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 January 2018, 11:40 GMT]
The lands seized for the abandoned project of coal power plant in Champoor in Moothooor East of Trincomalee still remain fenced off on the instruction from the Board of Investment (BOI) in Colombo. Cleaning work of the land is still going on and Colombo is planning to do something else there, the people who are resettled to the west of the BOI-seized lands said. Although it was said only 500 acres were taken over by the BOI as the main project land, around 600 acres are going to be totally fenced off, the people further said. Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) workers are also making regular inspection visits to the site, the villagers further said.

Meanwhile, another small hill-top located near the BOI-seized lands is also facing the danger of ‘heritage occupation’ by the SL Archaeology Department, which is prompted by the occupying SL Navy to Sinhalicise Moothoor East.

The hill-top, known as Kat-kea'ni-malai, is located close to the BOI-seized lands to the east of Champoor and to the north of Chanthoasa-puram and Kadatkaraich-cheanai.

Almost 75% of the seized lands have been fenced off.

The people are concerned that either BOI or the SL Archaeology Department are going to occupy the hill-top and the irrigation tank.

Champoor was known in the past for its self-sufficient economy with the produce from cultivation and fishing. But, after 2009, SL militarisation and the economic occupation of Colombo have completely rendered the resettled people to be dependent on temporary and subservient employment as most of the lands they used in the past for agriculture are now transferred into military and economic zones.

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