Northeast poised for massive development

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Northeast poised for massive development
Though the media highlighted the 290,000 internally displaced persons on May 18 last year, there were a larger number of persons who were displaced since 1980s in the country as IDPs languishing without even a hope of going back to their homes, Resettlement Minister Milroy Fernando said.
Addressing a press conference at his ministry in Colombo yesterday, he said these people are eager to go back to their native palaces. The Government was taking measures to bring them to their former places of residence. The main impediment was the land mines that were laid by the LTTE.
As soon as the Government completes clearance of land mines The IDPs will be resettled in their former villages. The Government will provide assistance to improve their economic conditions and livelihoods by providing seeds, fertilizer, dry rations for six months, temporary shelter and a grant of Rs. 25,000 he further said.
Addressing the press conference, Deputy Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan said the army personnel were working day and night to remove land mines and about 95 percent of the land mines were cleared in the Mulaithivu area. All the IDPs will be resettled in two months from now.
He said the Government with the assistance of NGOs and other donor countries were building houses for the IDPs. Already, 58,000 houses have been built in the North and another 170,000 houses were needed. The Indian Government had agreed to provide funds to build 50,000 houses.
Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan said only 12,000 hectares were cultivated in the Batticaloa District last year. It has increased up to 60,000 hectares. Milk production in the district last year was only 9,000 litres a day. It has increased to 50,000 litres. Fish production also had increased from 5,000 tons to 23,000 tons in the East.
He said the development taking place in the East will also happen in the North as effort was being made by the government.
Some political parties and groups who boosted the LTTE earlier were making comments and criticizing the government without knowing the ground situation. The people are aware about the progress being made.
The people of the North and East will no longer support the parties who are critical of the Government as they are aware that the Government is with the people, he said.
The government will develop local and foreign tourism in the North and East.
Courtesy : Daily News