Allege blackmarketing by Pillayan group owing to TMVP activities in Eachchilampattai

Aid agencies operating in the Eachchilampattai DS division of Trincomalee threatened to pull out following continued extortion and TMVP insistence that building material for reconstruction purposes should be purchased through the TMVP at higher than market rates.

Concerns were raised at this week’s Interagency Meeting that project work had been budgeted according to market prices and agencies would not continue their work in Eachchilampattai if this practice continued, the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said.

Pillayan cadres control the Eachchilampattai area in Trincomalee following the split with Karuna Amman and a Pillayan spokesman, when contacted by the Daily Mirror, confirmed his group would be setting up a “monitoring body” to oversee the development activities of aid agencies in the area.

Many of those working on shelters have been told to buy the local building material, particularly sand, through the “Rural Development Association” functioning under the TMVP - Pillayan faction where the price has been fixed at some 20% higher than the market price.

“We are starting the monitoring body from next week. It is not in place as yet so we don’t know who is collecting taxes using our name.

What’s more the monitoring body is only to oversee the development activities and not extort any money. If there are such complaints it should be brought to our notice,” a Pillayan spokesman said.

The IASC, a UN umbrella organization, said according to residents TMVP activities had increased this week in the Eachchilampattai DS division

“TMVP members have approached contractors or skilled and semi-skilled workers on shelter projects for returnees, asking money as tax,” IASC said adding that the government authorities had promised to enquire and to solve the issue.

Pillayan was appointed TMVP leader this week after the party central committee found former leader Karuna Amman, who is now in Britain, guilty of financial irregularities and assured it would cease all extortion, abduction and killings associated with Karuna Amman.

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