Before the establishment of Police Station at Chunnākam in 1947, village administration of Uduvil was under 'Police Vidāne.' After the establishment of Police Station, it was administered by 'Village Headman.' From 1963, 'Grama Sevaka' and later 'Grama Niladāry' took over the village administration. Vettivēlu Abimanasingham of Sitthāwatthai, Uduvil, served continuously as the 'Police Vidāne' and 'Village Headman' of Uduvil for a period of 33 years from 1930. In the mid-'30s, because of violent clashes between two communities of Chunnākam village, nobody from Chunnākam village or any other part of the Jaffna Peninsula was prepared to assume the duty of 'Police Vidāne' of Chunnākam. Thus, on the request of the British Crown Administrator of the Jaffna Peninsula, Mr. Vettivēlu Abimanasingham took over the charge of the Chunnākam village also for two years and brought normalcy in the village.
Uduvil Electoral District Uduvil Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was renamed Manipay Electoral District in July 1977. The district was named after the towns of Uduvil and Manipay in Jaffna District, Northern Province. The 1978
Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts.[1] Manipay electoral district was replaced by the Jaffna multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the PR system, though Manipay continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district. The
Valikāmam South Divisional Secretariat is situated near Periya-mathavaddy in Uduvil North. The Police Station, Post Office, Valikāmam South Pradēshya Sabhā Head Office and main Railway Station are in the Chunnākam town. The
Valikāmam South Pradēshya Sabhā main office is now being shifted to its new building in Uduvil (between Maruthanār Madam and Roddyālady on the KKS Road). Due to politics, in the night just before the ceremonial opening of the building, waste black oil was thrown all over its front walls and pillars. The land for this building was donated by a citizen from the village Uduvil. The Education Department Office for the Uduvil Division is situated near the Rāmanāthan College on the Kaithady - Mānipāy Road. The Office of the Uduvil veterinary Surgeon's office is situated at 'Kotthiyālady in Chunnākam along the Putūr - Chankānai Road.
Underground and surface water and farming Uduvil has a long stretch (about 1 1/2 km) of wide (about 3/4 km) agricultural field in the north, running east–west. Its soil is fertile. In its northern field, underground water is available at 5 1/2 to 6 feet. There is a large tank along its Kantharōdai boundary in the north-west. Paddy is cultivated in the rainy season only. All types of vegetables, chilli, lentils, grains and tobacco are cultivated in the other seasons. The mango, jack, plantain, coconut and palmyrah trees grow freely. Availability of underground water, tank, fertility of the soil, long stretch of agricultural field etc. could have made Uduvil as one of the ancient agricultural settlements in the Jaffna peninsula. Uduvil has a stretch of agricultural field in the south also. However, underground water is available at 15–25 feet only. Thus, there is no surface tank here. Tobacco, onion and other vegetables are cultivated here. No paddy cultivation is carried out in this field.
Markets Uduvil has a big vegetable and fruits market at Maruthanār Madam Junction. In Chunnākam also, there is a big vegetable, fish and meat market. There is a small vegetable and fish market called 'Kīlichchanthai' at Kalaviyawatthai along the Dutch Road.
Hotel and other facilities There are no hotel facilities, cultural centre, sport stadium and cinema theatre in Uduvil. However the 'Northern Sangētha Sabhā' building is in construction along the K.K.S Road near the Vali South Pradēsa Sabhā main office. There are three Guest Houses and lodgings having rooms with or without air conditions and meals situated in between 'Periya Mathavady' and 'Maruthnār Madam' Junction along the KKS Road. There are three bake houses in Uduvil. One at Uduvil Periya Mathavady along the K.K.S Road, the other at Kalaviyawatthai along the Dutch Road and the third one near Nāgamāl Kōvil along the Ambalavānar Road. Cable telephone and internet facilities are available. But no public Net Cafes. There are no liquor shops or Bars in Uduvil. However, there is one Toddy Bar opened only in the day time. All the shops close by 9 pm.
Bank, Postal and Insurance facilities Main Post Office is situated at Chunnākam. A number of private courier services also have branches there. There's also a sub post office in Uduvil-Manipay road. Almost all the Banks of Sri Lanka have their branches at Chunnākam. Some private insurance companies also have their Branches at Chunnākam.
Electricity, Water and Gas Supply 230 Volts Electricity supply is available in the whole village. Electricity is supplied by thermal power station at Chunnākam. New high voltage transmission lines and sub - stations are being constructed to connect Jaffna peninsula with the main grid. There is no pipe borne central water and central gas supply. Underground water from wells is used by the householders and business and other establishments.
Transport facilities There are two railway stations close to Uduvil. Chunnākam Railway station is one of the main railway stations. It is situated about half a kilometer from the Chunnākam Junction towards Puttur. Almost all the trains to and fro from the South stop there. Tickets to all the places could be booked directly or on-line. The next one is Inuvil Railway station. It is situated half a kilometer from Maruthanār Madam Junction towards Urumpirāi along the Manipāy - Kaithady Road. Express trains do not stop at Inuvil. Day and night buses to
Colombo ply along the K.K.S. Road. From Paranthan, Vavuniya along the A-9 road, Eastern towns and places of the Central Region could be reached. From Jaffna, almost all the main places in the island could be reached by bus. Almost all the main places in the Jaffna Peninsula could be reached by local buses plying along the K.K.S. Road and Manipāy - Kaithady Road. The
Point Pedro-
Navāly,
Vaddukōddai bus (No 766,767) and Jaffna - Uduvil (771) double decker buses were very popular bus services operated via Uduvil for a long time until the mid-eighties. A bus service from Maruthanār Madam to Kārainagar along the Dutch Road has been operating from last year. All the other bus services (No 768, 769, 770, 795) operate along the K.K.S. Road. Another bus service from
Kodikāmam to
Manipāy (No 811) via
Chavakacheri,
Kaithady,
Urumpirāi, Maruthanār Madam junction Uduvil, also operate along Manipāy-Kaithady Road. Bicycle and motorcycle are the main modes of transport. Taxi cabs are not in service. Only three-wheel autos are available for normal hire. Two-wheel and three-wheel land vehicles with trailers are available for transport of goods. Uduvil, during the 1980s and 1990s, has felt a heavy presence of the government army. The headquarters of the '513 Brigade' was located near Uduvil Girls' College. ==References==