The Hindu : Front Page : Resettle war-displaced Tamils by January 31: Rajapaksa

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Resettle war-displaced Tamils by January 31: Rajapaksa

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Curbs on movement of camp inmates to go from December 1

Mahinda Rajapaksa

COLOMBO: Ahead of an anticipated parliamentary and presidential election announcement, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday directed the authorities to resettle the war displaced Tamil civilians from the transitional camps by January 31.

Making an announcement on behalf of the President at Manik Farm Welfare Village in Vavuniya district, Senior Presidential Adviser and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa said the restrictions imposed on the movements of the camp dwellers would also be lifted from December 1.

Major General Kamal Gunaratne, Competent Authority for the government-run camps in the north, told The Hindu, “Those wanting to travel out of the relief camps can get into the convoy of buses from Vavuniya to Jaffna and visit their relatives, friends and well-wishers in the north. They can return to the camp by the same convoys.”

The confinement of the war-affected civilians in the state-run, heavily guarded barbed wired camps has been a major concern within and outside Sri Lanka.

General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, who is being openly talked about as a possible Opposition consensus presidential candidate, cited the travails of the war displaced as one of the 16 reasons that prompted him to seek premature retirement.

On Friday, Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that of the 2.8 lakh war displaced, the total number of IDPs remaining in the welfare centres in Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee and the hospitals had come down to 1,36,328.

Government Agent for Vavuniya PSM Charles said it was also decided to double the monetary relief to be deposited in the savings bank account of the IDPs to 50,000 rupees. In addition, 5000 rupees in cash, six months’ ration and an emergency kit with roofing and bed sheets are being given.

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