Situation Report-Jaffna Peninsula
28^th September 2006              

GENERAL

• The Commissioner of essential services has had a conference of higher administrative officers of the district at Kadduvan, Palaly on the 27^th Sep’06 to review the situation of all the essential services in the Jaffna District.  Higher officials from the Ceylon Petrolium Corporation, representatives from the ministries of Ministry of Education and officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board participated.  Food situation in the peninsula was also discussed.
• Eight persons suspected in the burglary of the MPCS branch at Kantherodai were arrested by the army and handed over to the police.  The police had loaded a portion of the loot found in their possession into a tractor and brought the burglars along in a procession to the Chunnakam junction.  It si expected some others would be apprehended once the remaining loot is locatted.
• Mudamavady branch of the Nallur MPCS was burgled in the early morning of the 26^th Sep’06.
• In a discussion held under the chairmanship of Assistant Director Fisheries it was decided to seek alternate means of employment for the fishermen who had been deprived of any earning for their livelihood from the 11^th of August 2006.  the department of Fisheries have taken action to collect the details of damages or loss of account of the missing or thefts of fishing nets and equipment.
• Thieves had entered the office of the Varany North Saiva Pragasa Vidyalayam during curfew hours during last month and stolen educational equipments and a water pump.
• Farmers of the peninsula are desperate because they are unable to sow paddy during Maha Season as seed paddy had been utilised for consumption due to scarcity of rice.  The Dept. of Agriculture informs that nine-thousand acres fertile paddy lands would not be used fully. Farmers also not preparing most of the acres of paddy land for Maha Season due to unavailability of fuel.
• Multi-barrel rocket attack and artillery shell attack sounds were heard in Thenmaradchy area

FOOD, NON-FOOD ITEMS

• Price of a loaf of bread of 450 grams and been reduced to LKR 28. as from today.
• Another ship consigned with 2,800 tons of food items is arriving in Kankesanthurai today.  The ship ‘Inthuruvail’ is bringing rice, flour, sugar and milk powder.

TRAVEL & VEHICLES

• Due to irregularities in the issue of fuel the mini-bus services in the peninsula may be stopped.  It is understood that minibuses playing on the Valigamam area are supplied fuel by the fuel station of the MPCS during every trip.  In the Vadamaradchy area this arrangement is not maintained and fuel is issued once in a wa.

EDUCATION

• Boycott of schools in the peninsula is continuing.

DISPLACEMENT

• Displaced life is still continuing in some areas.

MISSING PERSONS, DEATH & INJURIES

• Jeyavathanarajah Kanagambujam (55) of Udupiddy was shot dead by unknown persons while she was in her house at about 7.15 in the morning of 27^th.
• Veerasingam Kohilan (13) a student died of suffocation when the tractor loaded with manure in which he was travelling went off the road.

CURFEW LIFTED HOURS:

• Curfew has been lifted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Valigamam, Island, Thenmaradchy and Vadamaradchy divisions.
  
  

HUDEC-Cartias Jaffna
28^th September 2006