Sampoor people expressed their anxiety. -Special correspondent for Global Tamil News-
What is the background of dragging on the resettlement of People belonging to Sampoor?
Sri Lankan government announced that People from Sampoor would be resettled before 25th of last March. Though the Sri Lankan government sated that People from Sampoor have been releasing stage by stage, no resettlement has taken place so far, people in the refugee camps revealed.
D.M.Swaminathan, the minister of Resettlement in his visit to Trincomalee, explored with regard to the resettlement of Sampoor people and announced that the people belonging to Sampoor would be resettled by 25th of last March.
Uprooted Sampoor people who had been eagerly waiting for their resettlement are still frustratingly living at the refugee camps with huge disappointments, one of our correspondents stated. These people are prepared to go to their village and now they are dreamt of their resettlement day and night, he further added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently had a visit to Sampoor. Though it was revealed that the intention of that visit was to explore with regard to the resettlement of Sampoor people, some of the negative reports about that visit has now been leaked.
Despite, the President was ready to cancel the license for BOI to the 818 acres of land in Sampoor that had already been granted by the Mahinda’s government, Prime Minister Ranil disagree with the cancellation of the license granted to BOI, one of our correspondents revealed based on the secret information from government.
It is said that Ranil is interested on providing few acres of land to the BOI. However, the President takes firm stand in providing the lands to the Sampoor people, one of the ministers belonging to the ruling party stated.
Meanwhile, also at the end of the 100 days since the new government took office, the president stated that the people from Sampoor should be resettled in their own lands.
The real situation is what the president stated that even for a minute we cannot be able to live in the tents where uprooted Sampoor people have been living. These uprooted people have been living in these tents for 9 years with the hope of returning to their own land.
Also, during the Prime Minister Ranil’s visted to Sampoor, the people had staged a heartfelt protest urging their immediate resettlement. These people with tears demanded their resettlement.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that the intention of the Prime Minister’s visit is to explore about the continuous existence of both Sampoor coal power plant and naval bases. The gazette notification of canceling the license for BOI is yet to be published though it was said to be revealed.
Meanwhile, R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance stated that steps had been taken to release the 818 acres of land located at Trincomalee and Sampoor areas, which were seized for BOI.
Accordingly, a letter, asking to allow the release of these lands from the Attorney General's Department, has been sent to the President, he further added.
But, according to D.M.Swaminathan, the Resettlement Minister, the lands are being released stage by stage. There was a controversy upraised when Ranil stated that Sampoor had been handed over to the people in his visit to Jaffna.
Without being the spokespersons of the government with regard to the resettlement of Sampoor people, TNA should take steps for the immediate and complete resettlement of the uprooted Sampoor people, the uprooted Sampoor people highlighted.
These pathetic people are hindered by the time to time messages stating Sampoor people had been resettled and Sampoor people would be immediately resettled. These kinds of news are published with the political motive, one of the uprooted Sampoor people pointed out.
