The NPC's chief minister, C V Wigneswaran had earlier sent a letter to Mr Swaminathan informing him that the housing project had been unanimously rejected by the Council as not fulfilling Tamil needs or concerns.
Dismissing the letter, Mr Swaminathan accused the NPC of only talking with no action.
Extract of Mr Swaminathan's letter published by the Daily Mirror is reproduced below:
"The Northern Provincial Council has not done anything substantially since the end of conflict in 2009. It is reported the money provided by the Central Government for the development of the Northern Province is not being spent despite the fact that there is a serious need for development in the Northern Province for housing, livelihood, infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and industrial economic activities.
It has become a “no action - talk only” scenario depriving the legitimate basic needs of the Tamil Community which elected the provincial political authorities to address the pressing requirement. Further, whatever Government does, the Northern Provincial Council opposing and bringing an end for all resettlement and development activities. It looks to me that this approach is purely to keep them in their positions without an interest to “heal the wound”. It is time for the people to recognize the political ends and personal interest of these politicians. If people fail to express their strong views on this type of personalized agenda, in the long term it can have disastrous consequences.
When the Government has decided to give a fully furnished house with water supply, tube well, electricity, furniture with beds, fans, television, wi-fi facilities, gas cooker with cylinder at a substantial value, the Chief Minister opposes this project and wants to build partially completed house without any facilities to the people who underwent sufferings for over 30 years.
I would request the people who are opposing this housing development programme to go and see the plight of the people who are in the welfare camps, temporary huts and living with the mercy of friends and relatives. Those who are in the air conditioned houses wants only good houses with all facilities for their family members and children but when it’s come to those who elected them – their constituencies – they want to bulldoze them to be in a partially completed house without any basic facilities so that the importance of politicians will be felt indefinitely. The Member of Parliament Mr. Sumanthiran has been criticizing this project one month ago without knowing the basic facts. By his letter he has now only asked the very basis questions for which information will be given.
Every development brought by successive Governments to uplift the economic and social conditions of the Tamil community have been opposed, causing serious damage to the community. These politicians will also not do anything to their own constituencies but will also oppose others who do some good development work. Earlier, the Chief Minister put up his arguments on the cost, acceptability, durability, post construction maintenance and under groundwater. These weak arguments were technically explained and now he is coming with a new agenda that this initiative is Geneva based.
When His Excellency the President and the Prime Minister are keen and taken a lot of interest to resolve these problems and uplift the social conditions of the conflict affected families, the relevant political authorities should make best use of this opportunities. One cannot fool every one every day."
