‘PSC final report to President in six months’

No intention of playing for time:

Govt for permanent solution accepted by all:

S Thillainathan

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) which will study the proposals for finding a solution to the ethnic issue is expected to give its final report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa within six months through the Speaker of Parliament, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said when he met the Chief Editors of Tamil newspapers last morning at his ministry.

Minister Basil Rajapaksa

The minister further said that the government has no intention of playing for time or to delay the solution to the ethnic issue. The minister further said that although the government parties had several discussions and hope to continue these discussions with the Tamil National Alliance, they also want to discuss this issue with all the political parties to find a permanent solution to the ethnic issue, which will be accepted by all parties and the entire country. The minister further explained that the resettlement process is taking place in the North today. He said that the government is proud to announce that 114,000 persons have been already resettled in the North. The balance will be resettled before the end of the year. The resettlement of IDPs was delayed due to the difficulties in landmine clearing. The government has imported sophisticated landmine clearing machinery from Corsica and another country. That has expedited the resettlement process.

Minister Rajapaksa further said that after the successful official visit to India by President Rajapaksa, the Indian government gracefully agreed to construct 50,000 houses to expedite resettlement of the IDPs. A pilot project of building 1,000 houses under this programme has commenced now and it is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Under this programme, 250 houses in Kilinochchi, 150 in Jaffna, 175 in Vavuniya, 175 in Mannar and 250 in Mullaitivu will be built.

These houses will be built for the homeless on state land donated by the government. With Indian financial assistance, the government will provide help to people who own houses to repair damaged roofs.

The government hopes to increase this number to 6,000 houses. Minister Rajapaksa further said that, to strengthen the Northern peoples’ livelihoods, action is being taken to help the farmer, fisherman and persons who depend on animal husbandry and poultry farming. The government is providing soft loans to help them develop their livelihoods through these activities. Dairy farming will be developed and by increasing milk production, the minster said the entire needs of the North could be met by the milk produced in these farms.

The minister further said, Northern agricultural products could be brought to Colombo to Peliyagoda and sold to the wholesale market instead of going to the Dambulla market.

The minister said that under the Indian housing programme, 4,000 houses will be built in the East and another 4,000 in the upcountry areas.