Relief welfare centres for IDPs

The Government has made arrangements to set up Refugees Welfare Centres in Menik Farm 1 which has 150 acres, Menik Farm 2 having 450 acres and Omanthai 150 acres to provide immediate relief measures to the IDP’s coming from the Vavuniya, Mannar, Mulaitivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts.

Senior Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa disclosed this following a discussion with key Line Ministers, Governor of the North, Provincial Council Secretaries, Government Agents, Divisional Secretaries and the security officials held at the Presidential Secretariat on January 17.

The Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Management has made arrangements to expedite the relief measures for IDP’s and resettle 30,000 families within these three camps. The Ministry has already resettled 778 families, he said..

The people coming from un-cleared areas into the Government controlled areas will be provided with cooked meals, dry rations, drinking water, health and sanitary facilities, electricity, cooking utensils, clothes, infant food and other essential items. In addition, they will also be provided with daily allowance of Rs.100 for any of their miscellaneous needs., he said

Rajapaksa said the Government would get the assistance of the relevant Ministries, Provincial Council authorities, Divisional Secretaries and security officials to facilitate areas of recreation and other amenities for the displaced persons.

The Ministry of Resettlement is coordinating the provision of relief services to the displaced persons through the Government Agents in Vavuniya and a sum of Rs.30 million has already been allocated to facilitate arrangements.

“ More people are expected to enter Government controlled areas in the near future.

The Government is standing by in preparation to provide all relief measures to those coming from uncleared areas. The Government has also aimed to improve the living standards of the people in the war torn region than the existing standards,” he said.

He said with the assistance of the Health Ministry, the UNICEF would provide Hygienic Kit to each family and they have also undertaken to provide supplementary food such as UNIMIX and BP a 100 high energy biscuits to all children to overcome any form of malnutrition during this time.

The WFP and World Health Organisation will be actively involved in expediting this process.

He also directed the Zonal Education Director and the Education Ministry officials in Vavuniya to allow all the students who have sat the December Ordinary level Examination to be given the opportunity to sit the upcoming mathematics paper which is scheduled to be retaken on January 24, 2009.

Rajapaksa also stated that” It is a phenomenal fact during the recent liberation of the North there was no damage to ant property and harm to civilians. In this instance, it is indeed significant where the security forces had acted with utmost respect and diligence to protect the rights of the people of the North.

This has brought much praise among other countries and high end officials hence this would be a model the Geneva Convention would be looking to promote among other countries.”

He said the Government believes that the major portion of credit for liberation of northern areas should accrue to the heroic forces that have relentlessly and a great risk and cost taken on the world’s most ruthless LTTE terrorist organisation and triumphed Government.

The Government is looking forward to establish the civil administration in the Northern area. All the Government servants are engaged to protect all the territories liberated by the forces and security must be strengthen in those respective areas, he added.