Commander SF-J Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe on Thursday (19) made a progress review tour to the site with SF-J senior officers and met ex-LTTE combatants and Kayts soldiers jointly working on the site to discuss the progress of the project and difficulties faced by them.

Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office of SF-J with instructions of Secretary Defence and Commander of the Army started this project three months ago as a livelihood project for rehabilitated ex-LTTE combatants living in coastal area of Karampan in the Kayts island. On the project proposal of Commander SF-J Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, the Northern Province Governor’s office allocated Rs. 1.6 million for the pilot project consisting of 10 crab ponds with an area of 50ft x 40ft each.

At the initial stage, water crabs are being reared in two ponds. Water crabs recommended by the experts, who selected the site on the Karampan beach, are these days found abundantly in Kokilai and Nayaroo lagoons in the Northeast of the island. Off season currents have made it difficult to collect water crabs from Jaffna lagoons.

The 17th Battalion Gemunu Watch Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Senaka Premawansa has been assigned to supervise and coordinate the project for a period of one year with the Cooperative Society established for its employees. This crab fattening project in future will generate some peripheral jobs such as marketing, processing and food supply for crabs.