Four-day “Helambawewa’’ farmer’s fast ends with Minister Nanayakkara’s intervention
Funds will be allocated from the Budget
President to be made aware
On Saturday (4), the Helembawewa Farmer’s Organisation (HFO), agreed to end their chairman’s 4-day hunger strike due to the water issue, with the intervention of Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara.
The HFO said on Saturday (4) they had not received a solution to their water problem from any party, when they met Minister Nanayakkara, who was participating in the Jayagamu Sri Lanka People’s Mobile Service held at the Pudukudiyiruppu Public Stadium in Mullaitivu.
The Minister drew the attention of the President and the Minister in charge of the matter.
Accordingly, Minister Nanayakkara, who arrived there last night, and Minister of Wildlife, Forest Conservation and Irrigation, Pavitra Wanniarachchi, discussed the situation over the phone. Consequent to that discussion, it was assured that the Rs. 225 million needed to bring irrigation water to the Helabawewa Farming Colony, will be allocated in the next Budget.
After Minister Manusha Nananayakkara informed the members of HFO about this, they agreed to end their protest. Accordingly, the HFO chairman gave up his fast and handed over all the documents related to his problem to the Minister and requested him to bring them to the attention of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Minister also mentioned that the President’s attention will be drawn to the possibility of allocating funds for this soon.
In 2013, the Mahaweli Authority settled about 300 farming families in the Helambawewa Farming Colony and currently, about 200 families live there.
Under the Yan oya project, the farmers were supposed to be provided with irrigation water, but due to various reasons, the farmers alleged that the irrigation water was not given properly. Due to this situation, about 200 farming families did not get irrigation water and their crops failed.
Based on that situation, the farmers of Helambawewa Colony requested the officials to get irrigation water for them from the Yan oya project and the related estimate was prepared with the intervention of State Minister for Rural Economy, Kader Masthan.
But the transfer of water from the Anuradhapura district to Trincomalee district was delayed day by day, with the farmers’ organisations protesting against it for some time. The farmers of Helambawewa Colony pointed out that the water from the Yan oya project came close to their village, and it would cost only Rs. 225 million to bring the remaining 4 km.
The post Four-day “Helambawewa’’ farmer’s fast ends with Minister Nanayakkara’s intervention appeared first on DailyNews.