Paramilitary groups swindle income of resettled people in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 June 2012, 18:32 GMT]
Resettled Tamil families, who are dependent on fresh water fishing in Paduvaankarai area of Batticaloa district, complain that they are being robbed off their catch by paramilitary operatives of SL deputy minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan. Paramilitary operatives, operated by the occupying Sri Lanka Army, do not allow people run their home industries such as drying their catch. The dry fish is sold at a market price of 1,100 rupees per kilo, but the paramilitary operative in the area has forced the people to sell fresh fish catch to him at 50 rupees per kilo, complain the people.

The location of newly established checkpoints of the Sri Lanka Army at Allai-oadai and Maavaddavaan junction [Photo: TamilNet]

439 agricultural families, affected by military operations of the occupying Sri Lanka Army, were resettled in their lands at Periya-nuraichchoalai tract and Chinna-nuraichchoalai tract.

Fresh water fishing was set up in the tanks of Meeraankadavaik-ku'lam and Aaththik-kadduk-ku'lam in Kudumpimalai in order to uplift the livelihood of resettled.

The resettled were to do fresh water fishing in these tanks and sell their catch in open market to obtain a good income.

Thevan is also holding the post of the chairman of Koa'ralaip-pattu Agricultural Services Centre.

Due to his intimidation villagers are forced to sell their catch to him instead at low prices.

In the meantime, a large portion of the funds allocated for the improvement of the resettled people is being diverted to the paramilitary. The Tamil officials who question about the behind-the-scene deals, are threatened and transferred to other places.

Recently the paramilitary group has also demanded a portion of the funds allocated for the reconstruction of Kalladi bridge to be diverted to them.

Another paramilitary group led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan is behind illegal sand mining in Chantha'namadu river with the support of the SL Police and the SL military.

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