on: 3/27/2010 11:40:27 AM
Over 193,607 IDPs resettled
The government has resettled 193,607 Internally Displaced Persons of the North and only 76,205 IDPs remain to be resettled. These people are housed in six welfare villages in the Menik Farm area of Vavuniya, Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry Secretary U.L.M. Haldeen told the Daily News yesterday.
These remaining people are original settlers of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Madhu regions where the de-mining operations were continuing. They would be resettled in their original villages and lands when they are cleared of mines. These three regions were heavily mined by the LTTE terrorists when they were fleeing. These IDPs would be resettled stage by stage when their original villages are made safe for human habitation, he said.
Among the IDPs are more than 23,000 who leave the welfare villages daily for work or to visit their friends or relations and they are given transport facilities. However they return to the welfare villages every evening, he said.
The Special Presidential Task Force for Rehabilitation and Resettlement headed by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa is taking steps to expedite the de-mining process. The Northern Province Governor's Office has allocated Rs. 750 million for restarting the livelihood of resettled IDPs. Under this assistance scheme 23,519 families have already received the Rs 25,000 grant. Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri handed over these funds to some families recently. A total of 30,000 families will benefit from the program, the Governor's Office spokesman said.
Courtesy - Daily news
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