No signs of resettlement of IDPs in KKS

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 07:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Government has announced its intention of opening Kaangkeasanthu’rai (KKS) Road for public in view of the reopening of KKS cement factory located in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ). Mere opening of KKS road is meaningless while more than 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) evacuated from their residences 20 years ago are still languishing in camps and in relatives’ houses without being resettled, IDP Welfare Organizations in Jaffna said.

The organizations further said that the government, in view of the Presidential election next year, is attempting to pretend that it is interested in the development of Jaffna peninsula and its people while its true intention is to hand over the cement factory to a private Indian firm.

The government has not taken any constructive steps to resettle the IDPs as the SLA High Security Zones in the peninsula are certain to remain permanent in the future, they said.

Organizations in Jaffna which work for protection against pollution have been requesting the government not to reopen the cement factory as it will be a serious health hazard to the people in the area.

Meanwhile, ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance winning candidates in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) in August election took the oath in front of Sri Lanka President in his official residence in Colombo Monday.

Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam was sworn in as Mayor and Thurairajah Illango alias Regan as Deputy Mayor along with the rest of eleven JMC members including the Muslim member.

Supporters of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and UPFA were taken in a bus along A9 road to participate in this event.

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