Rotary housing project for Vanni returnees at Varothia Nagar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 21:49 GMT]
The Trincomalee Rotary Club Saturday laid the foundation stone for a forty-house project at Varothia Nagar, 5 km north of Trincomalee town to the returnees from Vanni region. The German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) has agreed to finance this project by allocating 3.6 million rupees, Trincomalee Rotary Community Services Director Mr.A.Z.J.Singarayer said.

Ms. Rajeswary, Rotary Club Field aAssistant

Varothia Nagar, which lies between Uppuveli and Kanniya stayed deserted since 1990 violence but has now become a hive of activity with the return of displaced Tamil families from Vanni and from other places to resettle in their abandoned lands, said Ms A.Rajeswary, field assistant of the Trincomalee Rotary Club who supervises the beneficiaries of self employment projects.

The self-employment projects include goat rearing, tailoring and other activities and have been organized by the Trincomalee Rotary Club in the village, sources said.

Ms Rajeswary herself a refugee lived in Clappenburg camp at Chinabay following 1990 violence. More than 1500 members of 396 families lived in the village before 1990, sources said.




Trincomalee Divisional Secretary Mr.Sundaram Arumainayagam ( extreme left) is seen with the Trincomalee Rotary Club officials Mr.P.Thirumugam,Mr.A.J.Z.Singarayer ( Community Services Director),Mr.S.Jeyshankar (Secretary),Mr.R.Thirukumaranathan( President) and Mr.S.P.Jeyaratnarajah.



A section of displaced Varothia Nagar residents from Vanni are also seenVarothia Nagar is called Rotary village, as the Trincomalee Rotary Club since 1983 has been looking after the well being of the villagers who frequently suffered due to violence. The Trincomalee Rotary Club constructed several houses and resettled the displaced families in violence that took place before 1990.

In 1990 violence most of the houses in the village were destroyed. Families fled the village to Vanni and elsewhere. With the ceasefire agreement came into force displaced from Varothia Nagar are returning to their lands and constructing temporary huts as they have no means to put up permanent dwellings.

Trincomalee Rotary Club has again come to the rescue of the villagers by formulating a project to build permanent houses with the financial assistance of the GTZ organization, Club President Mr.R.Thirukumaranathan said.

Trincomalee Divisional Secretary Mr. Sundaram Arumainayagam ceremonially laid the foundation stone for a house in a land that belongs to a Vanni returnee Saturday.

Each house will cost one hundred thousand rupees and will be constructed in a four hundred square feet plot with two rooms and a kitchen. The GTZ organization would provide seventy eight thousand rupees and the beneficiary should contribute the balance money to complete the work by his participation, said Rotarian Mr.Singarayer.

Each house will be provided with a latrine at a cost of Rs: 22,000. For which the GTZ would provide seventeen thousand rupees and the balance money Rs 5,000/- should be borne by the beneficiary, he added.

Trincomalee Rotary Club President Mr.R.Thirukuamaranathan, Secretary Mr.S.Jeyashankar, Community Services Director Mr.Singarayer, former Presidents Mr.P.Thirumugam and Mr.S.P.Jeyaratnarajah were present at the foundation laying event.


Shrub jungles, a common place in Varothiya Nagar


Small cadjan hut where a Vanni returnee with his wife and children live and the foundation for a permanent house under the Rotary project