'LTTE' ISSUES 36-PAGE REPORT ON NE NEEDS

Lankanewspapers.com, Friday, 11 March 2005

 

The LTTE Peace Secretariat has come out with a detailed report titled `Needs assessment for the North-East which put the overall cost at a staggering US$ 1455.0 million for tsunami reconstruction.

Pointing an accusing finger at the government educational institutions like the National Institute of Education for failing to identify Tamil aspirations, the report also criticises the government`s biased policy against the North-East fishermen.

With a cover page that outlined North-East tsunami-affected areas of the country, the Secretariat has categorised the report under nine sections - Resettlement, housing, health, education, roads, bridges, livelihood employment and micro finance, private sector promotion or involvement, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, environment, water and sanitation, telecommunication, power, public sector infrastructure, urban development, cooperative movement, coastal protection, local government sector and disaster management unit.

The report says it is a needs assessment and not just a damage assessment of the tsunami and hence goes beyond the boundaries of damage.

With an estimated 14,870 deaths in seven districts in the North-East, the LTTE has put the cost of resettlement at US$ 74.5 million, while US$ 336 million is required for housing.

The panel involved in compiling the report had pointed out the `failure of the National Institute of Education to provide equal attention to the Tamil medium educational development on par with the Sinhala medium`.

The Secretariat has recommended a Provincial Institute of Education for the North East while putting the blame on the government for errors in text materials and distancing the Tamil medium students from their regional and social context as the subject material focuses on examples and case studies from a different cultural and language background.

The report says the damage to boats and gear alone is estimated at US$ 37 million.

It criticises the `government policy of promoting the fisheries sector` in the South through the provision of loans, grants and other incentives saying it was with an intention to `adversely impact the East`.

`Though more than 70% of the fishing families are in the North-East the number of harbours and associated infrastructure is below 25% of that in the country as a whole`.

On the issue of power, the report says that 90% of the distribution system in the North-East suffered damage due to the war and in Mullaitivu and Killinochchi the damaged systems were yet to be repaired. The amount of money estimated for the power sector is at US$ 55 million.

The 36-page report is likely to be used to attract funds from the international community.