Landmines delay IDP resettlement

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The government's resettlement program of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in the North and East will be completed once all landmines are cleared. Deputy Resettlement Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan said.

He was speaking at a progress review meeting held at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat where about 24 ,000 IDP's still remain in the district's IDP centre, Vettikulam Menik Farm.

Attributing the delay in resettling to the de-mining process underway by the government, Muralitharan said the process of de-mining is carried out with the support of the United Nations and several International Non Government Organisations (NGOs).

He said of the 24, 000 IDPs in the Vettikulam Menik Farm IDP Centre, 20,000 are from Mullaitivu.

Arrangements will be made to expedite the process by adding more staff to clear landmines, the Deputy Minister said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed to resettle the IDPs in the Vettikulam IDP camp without delay, he said. He asked the public not to get misled by bankrupt political parties that would try to use them to achieve their sinister political goals.

He said the Resettlement Ministry officials visited Mallaitivu, Thunukai, and Mallavi areas on President Rajapaksa's direction.