New ID cards to adivasi community:
Minister assures to grant adivasi demands within a month
Tennakoon KULASEKERA and Bibile Central special corr
Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena has directed
the Wildlife Director General Dr Chandrawansa Pathiraja to issue new and
comprehensive identity cards to the adivasi community.
The minister gave this instruction following a meeting with the
leader of the adivasi community Uruwarige Vanniyela Aththo in Dambana
recently.
Arrangements have been made to look into the grievances of the
adivasi community and grant their demands within a month, the minister
told the leader of the adivasi community. This will be carried out under
the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The minister said only President Rajapaksa had responded to the
demands made by the adivasi community from among the past heads of
state.
The minister said the demands included the recognition of hills,
valleys and rivers in national parks and forest reserves considered
sacred by the adivasi community as their heritage sites, drawing up
regulations to issue identity cards with the approval of their leader,
giving preference to adivasi youth in providing forest related
employment, granting permission to obtain forest resources to build
traditional houses for community members, rehabilitation of the
Kadupahara Ella, Kandegamwila and Keragoda reservoirs in the Maduru Oya
reserve and building an electrified fence around Dambana to ward off
wild elephants.
Minister Chandrasena said the government will take these steps to
safeguard the adivasi community for posterity.
He directed Dr Pathiraja to ensure that all these demands are
fulfilled within the least possible time. Uruwarige Vanniyela Aththo
appreciated this and said President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true leader
who felt the pulse of the people in this country. He added that his
community is thankful to the President and the minister for looking into
their grievances which were ignored by several past leaders.
Badulla District Parliamentarian Thenuka Vidanagama and Mahiyangana
Assistant Divisional Secretary Nilanthi Samarawickrama were also
present. |