Death certificates for disappeared

Shirley Wijesinghe

Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry has planned to issue death certificates on behalf of those who have disappeared for more than one year during the war period.

Related draft bill in this connection had already been submitted to Parliament, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne said.

Minister Seneviratne was addressing the District Secretaries and Government Agents at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration last week.

The Minister expressed his confidence that the difficulties experienced in conducting national census and household listing will be removed after issuing their death certificates.

The families with disappeared persons face more difficulties as their deaths were not certified by the authorities.

Minister Seneviratne said that the respective death certificates will be issued to them according to the principle followed for tsunami victims who had been issued with their death certificates considering them as disappeared persons .

The official duties assigned to the Divisional and District Secretariats have become very important with the massive development projects launched by the Government today , Minister Seneviratne said.