The SL Defence Ministry in Colombo is diverting major construction contracts through the ministries of unitary State without letting the contracts to go through a tender process, according to Tamil civil officials in Jaffna.
All the SL ministries, from Health Ministry to Education Ministry, are exerting pressure on the civil administration in North to assign the contracts to the Sinhala military.
Sinhala soldiers are seen taking up big contracts in Maruthangkea'ni area of Vadamaraadchi East and in the islands off Jaffna.
The SL authorities are demanding the school sector in Jaffna peninsula to assign the building work to Sinhala Army's Engineering Division.
Already, the Sinhala military is competing against the local farmers in big scale by running farms in fertile lands that have been seized from Tamils in Valikaamam North in Jaffna and in Vanni. It is also running restaurants and saloons.
There are 35,000 Tamil youth without employment in Jaffna district alone.
Sinhala soldiers are present at a ratio of 1 soldier per 6 civilians in the Jaffna district.
In Mullaiththeevu district, the ratio is 1 Sinhala soldier per 2 Tamil civilians.