“Sinhalaisation” of North continues. Tamil village in Vavuniya district re-settled with Sinhalese without knowledge of district administration half.
Kokkachchaankulam is a Tamil village in Vedivaithakallu GS div under Nedunkerny divisional secretary in the Vavuniya North Piradesha sabhai.Kokkachchaankulam can be reached via Semamadu, Oothukulam & Ariyakundam. Nedunkerny can be reached from Kokkachchaankulam via Vedivaithakallu.
Tamil residents were displaced by war & this agricultural village was described as “abandoned” in Vavuniya district official reports.
After a survey undertaken by Mahaweli Authority personnel in March 2010 a “quiet” plan was implemented to reconstruct village & settle Sinhalese.
The settlement scheme was brought under the Vavuniya south Sinhala division & temporary land permits were issued to 165 Sinhala families.
The 165 families were settled in Kokkachchaankulam with the help of the military & without officially informing Vavuniya district secretary.
More than 300 acres of paddy land owned by Tamils was cultivated by residents in Kokkachchaankulam prior to displacement due to war.
The Army repaired & reconstructed by dec2010 the damaged anecut&deepened the tank enabling paddy cultivation to resume in Kokkachchaankulam.
Rs 4.5 million was allocated for anecut/tank restoration&settlement of 165 Sinhala families allegedly through “Northern Spring” funds.
A further 20 million rs was allocated for construction of a 22 km gravel road from Kokkachchaankulam to Mahakachchankodi in Vavuniya south.
Road work was started by a pvt contractor Bandara in April 2011.30 ft wide jungle is cleared & a 24ft road with 12 ft gravel is being built.
The “Sinhalaised”village of Kokkachchaankulam is to be renamed “Kalabowasewa”. The new rd will be called Mahakachchankodi -Kalabowasewa road
TC