Picketers force closure of Thikkam distillery
[TamilNet, Monday, 23 December 2002, 19:08 GMT]
Hundreds of people Monday extended their picketing campaign to Point Pedro Thikkam distillary premises
demanding the return control of Thikkam distillery from Palmyra Development Board (PDB) to the administration of the Vadamarachchi Palm Co-operative Societies Federation. Picketing of the Jaffna office of the Palmyra Development Board is also continuing, sources said.
Bottling of palmyra arrack at the distillery came to a
standstill Monday when people picketed the main entrance blocking workers from entering the premises, sources said. Thikkam distillery produces about sixty
five thousand bottles per month, society sources said. During the Peoples Alliance (PA) regime the then Minister Douglas Devananda took over the administration of the Thikkam distillery from the Vadamarachchi
Palm Co-op Societies Federation under his ministry. Since the beginning of this year the Thikkam
distillery is being administered by the Palmyra Development Board, which now comes under the Ministry of Hindu Religious Affairs.
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