Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province:

President appoints Task Force

Mandated to report within one year:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa by virtue of powers vested in him by Article 33 (f) of the Constitution of the Democratic, Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, has appointed a 19- member Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province. It is mandated to prepare strategic plans, programs and projects to resettle internally displaced persons, rehabilitate and develop economic and social infrastructure of the Northern Province.

Basil Rajapaksa MP

The other activities commissioned to the Task Force are;

* To coordinate activities of the security agencies of the Government in support of resettlement, rehabilitation and development.

* To direct and oversee the implementation of the said plans, programs and projects of the relevant state organizations including the relevant provincial authorities.

* To liaise with all organizations in the public and private sectors and civil society organizations for the proper implementation of programs and projects.

* To seek, identify and apply innovative solutions to problems and constraints confronted in the execution of the mandate of the Task Force.

* To regularly review the progress of the implementation of the said programs and projects and to take immediate corrective actions where necessary.

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP has been appointed as the Chairman of the Task Force with Essential Services Commissioner General S.B.Divarathne been appointed as the Secretary.

Other members of the Task Force are, Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunge, Secretary, Defence, Public Security Law and Order, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Sumith Abeysinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, U L M Haldeen, Secretary, Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, W.K.K.Kumarasiri, Secretary, Ministry of Highways and Road Development, S.Amarasekera, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Energy, M M C Ferdinando, Secretary Ministry of Land and Land Development, J R W Dissanayake, Secretary, Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition, Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal G D Perera, Commander of the Army Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshall, W D R M J Gunatillake, Inspector General of Police, Jayantha Wickremarathne,

Director General\Department of Civil Defence, Rear Admiral S P Weerasekera, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army\Competent Authority for the Northern Province Maj.Gen.G A Chandrasiri, Former Director General\National Planning Dept. B.Abeygunewardena .

The Presidential directive appointing the Task Force dated May 07, 2009 required it to complete it’s mandate and report to the President on the completion of the mandate within one year. The Gazette containing this directive was published yesterday.

At the first meeting of the Task Force held yesterday Senior Presidential Advisor and the Chairman of the Task Force Basil Rajapaksa MP said, that 90 percent of the territory of the Northern Province had been cleared of terrorism by the Security Forces at great sacrifice under the guidance and leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The highest tribute that can be paid to the war heroes is to provide the IDPs with basic facilities, to resettle them in their original native places and to restore their livelihoods. Already Security Forces have taken steps to provide security to cleared areas and the Government led by the President has drawn its attention to the security of the people, security of the North and of the country, he added.

He further said that the President had sent a directive yesterday to all Secretaries of Ministries to make arrangements to resettle IDPs in their original homes and to restore their lost livelihoods. In the aftermath of the conflict in the East the Government successfully resettled IDPs. In the near future, IDPs in the North too will be resettled, pledged Basil Rajapaksa MP.