The Hon. Imran Maharoof

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees. I wish to raise an issue that has arisen recently concerning the coastal area at Karumalaiyootru in the Trincomalee District.

¶ 02 Without any prior notice to the public or this House, a road that has been used for decades by fishermen, residents, and tourists along that coastline was blocked by security personnel, specifically by the Air Force, on 5 May in the morning. Once this matter was brought to my attention, I immediately engaged the relevant authorities to clarify the situation.

¶ 03 I also wrote officially to the President’s Parliamentary Liaison Secretary. On the same day, the Hon. Deputy Minister informed me that the roadblock would be removed and the issue resolved. He even posted about it on Facebook. However, when I personally visited the location on the 14th, the situation on the ground was extremely concerning. Despite assurances, the roadblock had not been removed, and a large number of security personnel were deployed at the site. This has caused significant fear and suspicion among the local population.

¶ 04 People are anxious because, in Muthunagar, similar measures had led to the acquisition of people’s lands. There is apprehension that the same could happen in our area as well. Therefore, I urge the Government to remove this roadblock forthwith and allow the fishermen, residents, and visiting tourists to use this road. I have with me a photograph taken today that confirms the continued presence of the roadblock, and I submit it for the Hansard record.

¶ 05 [Document placed in the Library.]