Over 9,000 IDPs settled in their homelands
Mahinda Aluthgedera and Vavuniya Central special
corr.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has launched the world’s fastest
resettlement program for IDPs, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil
Rajapaksa said at the relocation of displaced families held at the
Vavuniya Cultural Centre yesterday.
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Another batch of IDPs was released from Vavuniya yesterday.
Among them were 74 university students from the Jaffna
University. Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa
greeting one of the students who was released from the IDP
village. Pictures by Chaminda Hittatiyage |
“It is true that life in IDP camps is difficult. I wish such a grave
situation would not arise in future,” he said.
IDPs numbering 9920 from Batticaloa and Trincomalee were resettled.
Rajapaksa said higher education was denied to a large number of
students due to terrorist activities.
“But all such difficulties are now done away with. President Mahinda
Rajapaksa wanted all IDPs to be relocated with adequate security and for
which infrastructure facilities such as schools, hospitals and roads
have been redeveloped.
Internally Displaced Persons were not confined only to a particular
ethnic group or area.
Many have forgotten the displaced people scattered in such areas as
Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Moneragala.
“There are tsunami-lit people who have been displaced. In many
advanced countries too there are displaced people. Refugees are in
plenty in Palestine, he pointed out.
9920 IDPs from the IDPs from the Vavuniya, Settikulam camp were
resettled in their original lands in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Ampara and
Batticaloa districts. Among the IDPs who were relocated are 74
university students.
At a ceremony held under the patronage of Senior Presidential Advisor
Basil Rajapaksa 6838 and 2170 IDPs were resettled in Jaffna and
Trincomalee districts respectively.
In addition 274 in Ampara and 638 in Batticaloa were also relocated.
The resettlement process was activated only after the completion of
the basic facilities under the Uthuru Vasanthaya program. Earlier 19,360
IDPs were resettled.
Relief services and Resettlement Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said it
was the Government who saw to the problems of the displaced people. It
is time for all of us to review brotherhood ties among the different
segments of the population, he said.
Nation Building Minister S. M. Chandrasena, Social Welfare Minister
Douglas Devananda, Aviation Services Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara
Gunaratne, Northern Governor Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, Eastern
Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema and Major Gen. Kamal Gunaratne
also participated. |
