Govt to speed up resettlement drive:

Over 4,500 IDPs home bound

Ranil Wijayapala

In a move to speed up resettling the displaced civilians in their original villages, the Government will resettle nearly 4,500 civilians now living in welfare villages in Vavuniya to the East and the Jaffna district while taking steps to resettle, 3,020 displaced civilians living in welfare villages in the Jaffna district in their original villages.

Northern Province Governor Major General (Rtd) G. A. Chandrasiri, said that 1,445 people, originally from the Eastern Province, but now living in IDP centres in Vavuniya district after being entrapped in the Vanni during the battle will be sent back to their villages. According to officials 190 people from the Ampara, 320 from Batticaloa, 292 from Trincomalee, and 634 from Kantale, who are living in welfare villages will be released today after due security clearence given by the respective authorities.

"They will be sent back to the Eastern Province in 60 buses", he added.

Apart from this 52 families from Jaffna now living in welfare villages in Vavuniya after being entrapped in Vanni during intense battles, will also be sent back to their original villages.

A ceremony to mark the occasion will be held today in Vavuniya with the participation of Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP and Ministers Rishard Bathiudeen and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan. The Government Agents of the respective districts, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara will also participate.

Governor, Chandrasiri also said 3,020 people belonging to 650 families in IDP centres in Jaffna will also be sent back to their native villages today after they are given security clearence by the defence authorities.

The Governor also said that Government has taken measures to provide all facilities for their resettlement in their villages.

In addition the Government is also taking measures to resettle another batch of 1,500 civilians in Vavuniya North very soon.

According to Government officials in Vavuniya 35 villages in Vavuniya North have been identified for resettling.

"To facilitate the movement of civilians and officials to visit these villages in Vavuniya North, the Government has shifted Thandikulam checkpoint to Omanthai. So that the officials can take the civilians back to their villages to inspect and prepare their houses for resettlement", an official added.

The existence of the Thandikulam security checkpoint restricted the movement of civilians into the Northern part of Vavuniya on security grounds.