News
Mannar DCC wants Indian trawlers out of Lankan waters
Mannar District Co-ordinating Committee has decided to urge the Government to prevent Indian trawlers entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
This decision was taken at the Co-ordinating Committee meeting held at the Mannar District Secretariat last Tuesday. The decision was to be conveyed through the Sri Lankan Government to the Indian Defence Ministry.
Government Agent M.Y.S.Deshapriya told those present at this meeting the DDC had last met in 2012.
A co–chairman and Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran did not attend the DCC meeting thereby delaying the finalising of the project.
Proposals for the 2016 D.C.budget were discussed and last year’s work reviewed.
Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said the Police and the Navy should stop all transport of timber, sand, cattle and narcotics, while the Govt. Agent, Divisional Secretaries, forest officers and WildLife Dept. officers were requested not to issue permits in future for such transport.
Minister Bathiudeen also requested the Army, Police and Navy to give back the land in Mullikkulam village to its owners and stop paddy cultivation done by the Army and Navy at Vigayaddikulam and hand over the tank and the land to the villagers.
He also requested the Army and Navy to stop paddy cultivation done at Sannar and Wellimarathuthamadhu and hand over the tank and lands back to the owners.
TNA MP Charles Nirmalanathan brought up the issue of funds allocated to the Northern Provincial Council not being sufficient for the development work and appealed to Minister Bathiudeen to obtain more funds from the central government for the 2016 budget.
The minister had requested the officers of the Forest Dept. and Wild Life Dept. to forward the map recently gezetted with its boundaries.
Both TNA MPs Sivaskthi Ananthan and Nirmalanathan requested the Army to hand back the Vellankulam agricultural farm to the Agriculture Dept.
The meeting was held under the co-chairmanship of Minister Bathiudeen and TNA MP Nirmalanathan. Wanni MP Musthan, Northern Province Minister Deniswaran, Wanni TNA member Sivashakthi Ananthan, Provincial Council member Premos Siraiva, Govt. officers including Police, Army and Navy personnel, NGOs, observers and representatives of CBOs attended the meeting. (A.M.)