42 of 47 Northern welfare centres shut down

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42 of 47 Northern welfare centres shut down


Saturday, 25 September 2010
Major General Kamal Gunaratne the Competent Authority on resettlement in the North said that 42 of the 47 welfare centres established in the north have now been closed. The government in the height of war with LTTE in 2009 set up these welfare centres to accommodate over 280,000 civilians who fled the LTTE.
Gen said that 265,000 civilians have now been resettled in their villages with necessary infrastructures. The government gave all families resettled with a resettlement payment of Rs 25,000 and dry rations for a period of six months. Government has planned to complete the resettlement of all remaining civilians before the end of year. According to Maj General Gunaratne as at present there are around 27,000 civilians to be resettled but actually only 10,000 live in welfare centres. All other remaining civilians, yet to be resettled are living out of these welfare centres with the permission of authorities. Most of the inmates go out in the morning and return in the evening as they find their livelihood elsewhere by engaging in agricultural and other day to day activities including construction and trivial work