Minister Devananda leads resettlement of war displaced

The resettlement of the war displaced in Mathagal West Jaffna was carried out under the patronage of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda recently.

The people in three Grama Niladhari Divisions were resettled.

Minister Devananda said that it was a special day for all the people of Mathagal as those who had been displaced due to war returned to their homesteads.

He said after 30 years of suffering, people are coming back to their homes without even a trace of fear or doubt for which he had been trying hard. Everyone should be grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for creating such a situation, the Minister said.

He said he had instructed State officials to supply all their requirements, given free by the government until they could stand on their feet.

Minister Devananda said the TNA members of Parliament were critical of the government saying that the resettlement of the war displaced was not done properly.

They wanted to continue with the problems and not to solve them like the proverbial beggars wound disseminating false propaganda against the government, he said.

Commander of the Navy in the North Rear Admiral D S Udawatte said the 'Agbo' battalion established in 1997 had been protecting and providing security for the people and their properly under the instructions of the minister and worked for resettlement of the war displaced.