Resettlement in many places complete - Devananda

The government reached the final stages of resettling almost all displaced from lands utilised for High Security Zones and from places where the war was fought, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

The minister on a tour to Tellipallai and Uduvil Divisional Secretariat Divisions to examine welfare camps where a few families are still sheltered, said the rest of the families sheltered in welfare camps will be resettled soon.

The minister said the displaced in welfare camps are those whose lands had been taken over to set up High Security Zones during the war.

"The lands although released, still have not been demined and cleared for occupation. This is the reason the government has not been able to resettle the rest," Devananda said.

The minister said there were nine welfare camps in the Tellipalai Divisional Secretariat Division and three in the Uduvil Divisional Secretariat Division.

He said he submitted a memorandum to the Cabinet of Ministers to provide facilities to camps and following this, funds were allocated for drinking water, toilet facilities, health, education of children, assistance for self-employment ventures, etc.

"As resettlement in some areas had not been completed, lands on which welfare camps are built, would not be returned to their owners immediately," the minister said.

"However, resettlement would be completed step by step as early as possible," Devananda said.

The minister instructed Divisional Secretaries to take steps to construct more toilets, provide two additional tube wells and to repair camp buildings.