US lauds resettlement programme

US ambassador Michelle J Sison expressed her appreciation to the Sri Lankan government for its successful completion of the resettlement programme in the North.

The US ambassador expressed these sentiments when she met Resettlement Minister M H Gunaratne Weerakoon and these sentiments when she met Resettlement Minister M H Gunaratne Weerakoon and Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan at the Ministry on Tuesday for a discussion on the future development programmes planned by the Ministry for the benefit of the resettled people.

At this meeting Minister Weerakoon said the government’s resettlement programme was implemented in a well planned manner with proper management. The Ministry will take measures to provide all facilities and needs to the re-settled to improve their living standards.

He said people who went abroad as refugees were returning to Sri Lanka in large numbers to re-settle in their original places of residence in the North.

Plans have already been formulated to improve the living standards of the re-settled population and link them to the national economy.

The US Ambassador said the US government is working forward to assist Sri Lanka in its efforts to improve the economy and living standards of the re-settled people.

Ministry Secretary Janaka Sugathadasa, USAID Director (Operations) James F Bender and Amanda S Jacobson of the US Embassy were also associated with the discussions.