By IANS
Colombo : Heightened security measures and renewed skirmishes between the Tamil Tigers and government forces are causing severe delays in delivery of supplies and prices of goods and fuel to shoot up in Sri Lanka's northern districts collectively known as Vanni, officials said.
New government regulations were introduced in mid-June after security forces discovered explosives hidden in trucks travelling between conflict areas, reports the UN-backed news agency IRIN.
Goods must be offloaded, inspected and then transferred to other trucks at a checkpoint set up at Madavachchiya, a central town where several key highways intersect.
The government Peace Secretariat said 15 policemen were manning the checkpoint, examining everything from the undercarriage of the lorries to the unloaded goods.
UN World Food Programme (WFP) coordinator Jonathan Campbell told IRIN: "The new checkpoint at Madavachchiya is causing some delays. Most of the lorries have to be unloaded and loaded again and that takes time."
According to the Inter Agency Standing Committee's July 20 situation report, this has resulted in prices of goods to shoot up due to expenses incurred in unloading and reloading.
"The delays have caused shortages and queues," said Francis Duector, the district coordinator of the local community group, Foundation for Co-existence in Mannar district. "There have been days when fuel stations in Mannar issued only one litre per person."
He added: "It is the ordinary man who has to stay in the queue to get a litre of petrol. And he feels helpless because no one appears to be doing anything to make his situation better."
Nagalingam Vedanayagam, the government agent for Kilinochchi District, said conditions were worse in areas under Tiger control, with delays in delivery and security restraints.
"There are restrictions on petrol and diesel and we have to submit our requirements to the government and wait for approval," he said. "Most of the time the fuel that is supplied is limited to carrying out essential needs."
The LTTE allows the government's civil administration to function in areas under its control but keeps a watchful eye on their activities.
Fuel prices have increased in the district, with petrol selling at Rs.550 (US$4.92), five times its official market price, and diesel at Rs.250 ($2.23), four times the normal value per litre.
Recent fighting has also affected the delivery of goods. Key checkpoints between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and government areas have occasionally closed completely or operate only several days a week.
"Supplies for two districts (Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu) come through the Omanthai checkpoint," Vedanayagam said. "Earlier we would get 300 lorries per month, but now we manage 120 lorries."
WFP said severe food shortages had been prevented, however, because local produce was readily available in the districts.
"We can manage the rice, vegetables and anything that we grow here, but it is things that come from outside that are expensive and in short supply," LTTE spokesperson Rasiah Illanthariyan told IRIN. "There are shortages of medicine and baby food."
Vedanayagam expressed doubt whether the transport situation would improve soon. "There are security concerns because of the increase in fighting in recent weeks," he said.
The Peace Secretariat said the government planned to speed up the checking procedure of supply trucks with new scanning equipment.