New HSZ covering Sampur and Mutur East

Months after government troops cleared areas South of the Trincomalee Harbour, the government has declared a new High Security Zone covering Sampur and Mutur-East, to set up a Special Economic Zone - the government’s original plan.

In an extraordinary Gazette notification, the government named the new zone, as ‘Mutur (East)/Sampur High Security Zone’. Thousands of families in the area coming under the HSZ are to be re-located.

However, a senior government official in the area told the Daily Mirror action had already been taken to acquire lands where the families to be relocated were now living.

According to the Gazette notification, the new HSZ will bind from East: Eastern Coastal belt, joining the villages of Foul Point, Illankanthai, Kalladichanei and Uppural. South : Uppural, Selvanagar, Thoppur and Pachchanoor: West : Along the Western Bank of the Kalladichanei Aru, joining the villages of Pachchanoor, Kalladichanei South, Mutur and the Kalladichanei Aru Estuary; North : Along the Southern Beach of Koddiyar Bay, joining Kalladichanei Aru Estuary with the villages of Sampur, Shell Bay and Foul Point.

This HSZ will encompass, at least six Grama Sevaka Niladhari Divisions.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed Eastern Security Forces Commander Parakrama Pannipitiya as the Competent Authority for the implementation of regulations in this regard.

After the Sampur area was completely cleared of the Tigers presence a few months ago the government announced that it would set up a mega industrial zone in the area.

The proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be established in the Trincomalee district, was gazetted on February 16, 2006. According to BOI plans, 675 sq km of land will be used for the creation of the SEZ under the BOI Act 1978.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/06/16/front/2.asp)