The Sri Lankan government has announced that more than 70 per cent of the nearly 2.8 lakh war displaced have returned to their original places.
Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights told a news conference here on Friday that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government was close to achieving its target of resettling the entire Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) population within 180 days.
At the media briefing, the Minister said more than 20,000 IDPs had moved out of the camps within last three days to visit their relatives after registering themselves with the relevant authorities.
He refuted reports in a section of the media that that the IDPs were given freedom of movement only for 15 days. “Every IDP leaving relief centres were given two passes since the government is responsible for their security and wellbeing. Authorities at the centres retain one pass while the other was given to the IDP”.
Mr. Rajapaksa on November 21 had said that he wants every single displaced person to be sent back to their original villages by January 31.
