“Our time here in this world is too short and too precious to be wasted on anger and hate”, said Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC who visited the COVID-19 graveyard at Oddamavadi on Saturday, July 10.
Oddamavady is the burial grounds set up recently for those who died of COVID-19 virus. Around 950 victims including 900 Muslims and victims from other faiths have been interred.
Following his first official visit to the Eastern Province, Minister Sabry wrote the following lines in his Face Book:
“COVID-19 brought an era of hardship and loss. For some, the pain of losing a loved one turned into a nightmare when they did not get the solace to perform their final rights. Thankful for those who stood by their beliefs, for those who listened and made the tough choices despite opposition, for those who didn’t give up and for those who unselfishly gave their lands so their fellow men can have a final resting place in the soil of their Motherland,” Minister Sabry said.
The Minister was with Parliamentarians Marjan Faleel, M. S. M. Thowfeek, Ishakur Rahman and Faiz Cassim during his first ever official visit to the Eastern Province. They were received by Hafiz Naseer Ahamed, MP for Batticaloa District at Oddamavadi.
Minister Sabry said, that the Kandy Masjid Federation donated an excavator machine to the authorities to facilitate the burial process at this graveyard. Subsequently, the Kandy Masjid Federation headed by K. M. A. Sideeq contributed Rs. 300,000 to the burial grounds mosque for its maintenance expenses.
The Minister also laid the foundation for a roadway in Oddamavady which is to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 40 million. Minister Sabry also handed over two newly houses built by housing development authority to two families under the Government’s housing plan for the poor in Meeravodai and Kaagithanagar. Financial assistance was also rendered to nine displaced families to rehabilitate themselves in their own settlements.
During the visit, the Minister also held talks with people in Eravur and Kattankudy in their own towns.
Oddamavadi Divisional Secretary – V. Thavarajah, Assistant Divisional Secretary – S. M. L. Amin, Assistant Project Director – S. A. Riaz, Dr. Amhar Hamdani, senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, officials of the Road Development Department and representatives of agricultural organisations were also present at the events in the province.
