EPDP co-ordinator for the Batticaloa district K. Arumailingam being the latest to join the bandwagon.

The trend of Tamil politicians getting SLFP membership continues, with EPDP co-ordinator for the Batticaloa district K. Arumailingam being the latest to join the bandwagon.

According to government sources, Mr. Arumailingam, who is also a member of the Batticaloa Municipal Council, has decided to join the SLFP along with Mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran.  They are expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa next week.

Mr. Arumailingam, who acted as the district co-ordinator for EPDP leader Minister Douglas Devananda, has reportedly tendered his resignation from the party. He had earlier been a member of the North-East Provincial Council headed by Vartharajah Perumal.

Minister Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan was the first eastern politician to join the SLFP, the largest party of the ruling coalition. Along with him hundreds of TMVP members too obtained its membership. Political analysts say that the new political phenomenon was a result of the government mounting pressure on the minority parties to become a part of the SLFP. 

TNA MP for the Wanni district, Sivanathan Kishore, has also expressed his support for the government’s development work in the Northern Province recently.

Military is still running after Tiger leader Nagulan and Kuilan operating in Batticaloa and Trincomalee

Whilst search operations were going on in Colombo the military is still running after Tiger leader Nagulan and Kuilan operating in Batticaloa and Trincomalee along with a handful of Tiger cadres. Military officials believe that they have already moved into the civilian settlement in the East as intense search operations conducted by the Security Forces have made it difficult for them to operate in the jungles.

ACTED SRI LANKA - AREA COORDINATOR BATTICALOA

Department: Coordination 

Position: Area CoP  Position: Area Coordinator Batticaloa

Contract duration: 12 months

Location: Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Starting Date Immediate

Click here to see details

Moothoor IDPs relocated against their wish in Ki’liveddi

June 19th, 2009 

Sri Lanka police forcibly took away 224 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Moothoor in Trincomalee district presently staying in Kirimuddi refugee camp in Batticaloa district, against their wish, to be relocated in Ki?liveddi in Trincomalee district, Tuesday noon, sources in Batticaloa said. UNHCR representatives, representatives of NGOs besides government officials were present during this incident, the sources added.

http://www.australiantamil.com/?p=5063

Brandix, a top Sri Lankan apparel maker, is planning to boost production at a factory built in Batticaloa

June 16, 2009 (LBO) - Brandix, a top Sri Lankan apparel maker, is planning to boost production at a factory built in Batticaloa, a former war-torn area in the east of the island where ex-female Tiger combatants are also working, an official said.

"Our current production is 20,000 pieces and we want to push it up to 50,000 pieces," Theodore Gunasekara, general manager, intimate apparels at Brandix Lanka said.

"Of the current workforce of 220 working at the factory, 95 percent are women.

"This includes some ex-combatants as well."

In May Sri Lanka said the Tamil Tiger leadership was wiped out in the last redoubt in the north east of the country following a two and a half year war.

Eastern Sri Lanka was re-taken from the Tigers in the early phases of the campaign and local elections had already been held in the area, with a breakaway Tiger leader winning the polls.

Gunasekara said currently the factory is making pocket denim pants and will achieve a target of 50,000 pieces by end September 2009.

Brandix has invested 250 million rupees on the factory.

"The factory was made under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative," said Gunasekara.

"We want to see if we can commercialize this CSR initiative."

source:http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1065451113

Kattankudy sends 40 cooks to feed IDPs

Forty Muslim cooks from Kattankudy accompanied by two members of the Kattankudy Mosque Federation left Kattankudy for the Wanni yesterday morning in a bus, a pick up and a lorry full of cooking utensils to prepare meals for the people rescued by the security forces from the clutches of the LTTE in the North.

Secretary of the Kattankudy Mosque Federation M. Sabeel, said that the Federation is sending these cooks to the Wanni at their own expense on the request of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, conveyed through the Chief Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa. The Kattankudy Mosque Federation also sent relief goods to the Wanni IDPs some time ago.

Meanwhile it is said the Muslims displaced from the North by the LTTE in October 1990 are also collecting relief items to be given to the war victims in government controlled areas.

source:http://www.nation.lk/2009/04/26/news4.html

Transfers for senior police officers

Senior police officers will be changing places as the Sri Lanka Police effects a series of transfers across the service. The transfers come under the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, based on recommendations by the Ministry of Defence and the Police Commissioner. A press release from Police Headquarters lists the transfers as follows: Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) transfers

W. U. Fernando, Batticaloa Operations to IT and CCTV

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) transfers

B. B. Ranaweera, Puttalam to Batticaloa

Superintendent of Police (SP) transfers

Batticaloa to Director Supplies Police HQ

TMVP takes steps to revamp

The TMVP has taken steps to revamp the party to be a ‘considerable political force’ following the defeat of the LTTE, Party Spokesperson Azath Moulana said.

Moulana told The Sunday Leader the party had already taken steps by revamping its political offices in the east and by appointing new members in these districts.

"The TMVP needs to reorganise to be a force to reckon in the Tamil political circles. There is more room for us to do that since the LTTE has been defeated," Moulana said.

There was speculation of a rift within the party following Batticaloa Mayor, Sivageetha Pirapaharan’s decision to resign from the TMVP and join government ranks.

Moulana said that this had not affected the party’s relationship with the government. He said the TMVP would continue to assist the government in its efforts to bring a political solution and to develop the country.

"The TMVP will continue to maintain a friendly relationship with the government and assist in its development and peace efforts," Moulana added.

The TMVP had been plagued by internal rifts in the recent past.

Its former leader, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan along with a few of his supporters joined the SLFP in March this year following a split within the party.

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20090614/NEWS-3.htm

TNA Batticaloa district MP Thangeswari Kadiraman also hit headlines

TNA Batticaloa district MP Thangeswari Kadiraman also hit headlines locally and internationally by coming to the parliament wearing a salwar in breach of parliament dress code that eventually caused her to be evicted from the House.

Arumainayagam resumes as GA Batticaloa district

By TamilNet Newswire
Mr. Sundaram Arumainayagam has assumed duties again as the Government Agent
of Batticaloa district with effect from Monday. He was on study leave to
undergo a special course in public administration in Singapore for one
year. ...
<http://www.australiantamil.com/?p=4977>

dengue fever has risen to 91 with the latest incident reporting from Batticaloa last evening. ...

* A special telephone number to help control dengue in Sri Lanka
Colombo Page - Colombo,Sri Lanka
Meanwhile the total number of deaths on dengue fever has risen to 91 with
the latest incident reporting from Batticaloa last evening. ...
<http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Jun1244052607RA.html>

With the strong likelihood of the entire TMVP membership taking SLFP

With the strong likelihood of the entire TMVP membership taking SLFP
membership, Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran said yesterday that she
had been convinced of the need to join the SLFP as well, following in the
steps of National ...
<http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50661>

Pictorial Roadside Hopper Makers in Maamangam Batticaloa

While traveling to Batticaloa it's very refreshing to witness the firewood
carriers trying to manage a whole load of firewood on their bicycles and
ride ...
<http://transcurrents.com/tc/2009/05/post_367.html>