Advisory Committee for Muslims' resettlement

PRESIDENT Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has appointed a six-member Monitoring and Advisory Committee for the Special Resettlement Program of the forcibly evicted Muslim population from the North back to their places of origin.

This follows a Cabinet approval recently. The six-member Committee will function under the Chairmanship of Minister of Rehabilitation & District Development (Vanni), Rishad Bathiudeen, a Government news release said yesterday.

Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconciliation Secretary M.S. Jayasinghe in a letter addressed to Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Peace Process, Jayantha Dhanapala, conveyed this decision and requested him to coordinate with the six-member committee at all meetings with the LTTE or with the foreign funding agencies, as well as the foreign missions involved in this connection to facilitate a comprehensive resettlement program.

He has also been requested to inform the LTTE Peace Secretariat, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Norwegian Embassy, Japanese Embassy and other funding agencies to contact the Committee through the Director-General of the Task Force for Resettlement based at the Ministry of Rehabilitation & District Development (Vanni) in Colombo, pertaining to all matters related to the Northern displaced Muslims.

The Monitoring and Advisory Committee has been entrusted with the task of advising relevant agencies in the proper implementation procedures, resolving land problems among resettlers, concurring with militant groups on various implementation activities, review progress and monitor the movement of these families to their places of origin to successfully and comprehensively carry out the resettlement program.

The Committee Members are M.N. Iyoob, former Member of Parliament, Dr. M.S. Anees, senior lecturer of the University of Colombo, Dr. Y.K. Marikkar, social worker, M.H. Muinudeen, Social Worker, M. Nihmath, Coordinator, Community Trust Fund and M.S.A.C. Mubeen.