Resettlement in final phase:

Cabinet approves Rs 1,000 m to resettle remaining IDPs

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

have been resettled.

Cabinet has approved a fund allocation of Rs1,000 million to resettle the number of Internally Displaced Persons at Manik Farm and Sampur. “This will be the final phase of resettlement of IDPs,” said Resettlement Ministry Secretary Uthpala Basnayaka. Of those displaced as a result of the 2009 humanitarian operation in the North and East, 97 per cent have been resettled.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed Resettlement Minister Gunaratne Weerakoon to complete the Resettlement Process with the use of funds, the Daily News reliably learns.

Ministry Secretary Basnayaka said there are 2025 displaced families remaining in the Manik Farm and they are being resettled in the Kombavil area in the Mullaitivu district.

“Sixty six families were resettled in Kombavil last week. The ministry will resettle another 72 families next week,” he said. “Each displaced family will be given a 44 perch bloc of land,” Basnayaka said.

“Meanwhile, moves are underway to resettle IDPs at Sampur in the Trincomalee district,” he said.

“The IDPs will be settled outside the Economic Zone of the Sampur Coal Power Plant.”

“We have identified suitable areas to resettle them. There are 1227 families to be resettled in Sampur.

The Resettlement Ministry is in the process of constructing necessary infrastructure to resettle them,” said Basnayaka. Every resettled family will get a basic home and a toilet in addition to being given water and other facilities, he said.

Asked about the fate of the Resettlement Ministry and the families which were resettled by the time the resettlement process is complete, Basnayaka said, the welfare of the resettled families is now under the care of Presidential Task Force for Resettlement and Rehabilitation supervised by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The Fisheries, Economic Development, Highways, Agriculture, Housing and all other line ministries will be there to assist the resettled families.

“ Once we end the process of resettlement that means we have done our job.

It is more likely that the government is more likely to wind up the Resettlement Ministry after the work has been finished. However it is the government that will decide on it,” he added.