Trinco resettlement project almost over

Ridma Dissanayake

Trincomalee District Secretariat Office is finalising the resettlement project in Trincomalee, which commenced in 2006 with the assistance of the Economic Development Ministry and Resettlement Ministry, Trincomalee District Secretariat Office Project Director U Anura S Weeraratne said.

He said the resettlement project is being carried out under the direction of Trincomalee District Secretary Major General P T R de Silva. Weeraratne said 138,664 persons belonging to 38,474 families in Trincomalee district were displaced in 2006 with the beginning of the humanitarian operation in Mavilaru.

"Since then, they lived in three welfare centres in Kiliweddy, Paddichidal and Manalchchenai. We already resettled 135,200 persons belonging to 37,388 families in permanent homes and temporary homes with government assistance.

Most persons received permanent homes completed with infrastructure facilities including electricity and drinking water. Arrangements are in place to provide permanent homes for all living in temporary houses within the next few years," he said. "Three hundred and twenty displaced families are still living in welfare centres and 766 families are living with their relatives. All are residents of the Muttur Divisional Secretariat. The government identified seven areas to build new homes for those persons," Weeraratne said.

He said infrastructure facilities have been provided to persons living in welfare centres.

"Dry rations and other essentials are also provided to these persons by the World Food Programme. We have launched a number of programmes to uplift the resettled persosns' livelihoods and strengthen their economy," Weeraratne said.

The Divineguma national development programme is also progressing successfully in Trincomalee district, he said.