751 IDPs return to Muthur Tamil villages from Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 March 2007, 23:16 GMT]
About 751 members of 348 displaced Tamil families returned Monday evening in several buses from Batticaloa to Killiveddy in Muthur division for resettlement in Sri Lanka government held villages. This was the first batch of several thousand IDPs who first sought refuge in Vaharai and then to Batticaloa following the military operations launched by the Sri Lanka Army in August last year on Muttur east villages.

M.C.M.Sheriff, Muttur Divisional Secretary welcomed the returnees at Killiveddy around 5 pm. Monday when they arrived by buses from Batticaloa.

Returnees were allowed to stay in temporary shelters in Killiveddy Monday. The returnees who prefer to go back to their own houses are to be allowed to do so on Tuesday, according to officials.

The families were residents of government held villages, Mallikaitheivu, Periayaveli, Pattithidal, Killiveddy, Barathipuram, Menkamam, Kanguvely, Iruthayapuram and Palathadichchenai (09 Grama Niladhari divisions) in Muttur south division before the outbreak of fighting last year.

They would be provided with one-week free dry rations and would be resettled in their own houses, sources said.

Meanwhile, another report said Muttur IDPs in Batticaloa are being sent to Muttur by government to give accommodation to IDPs fleeing from LTTE held Paduvankarai area following fresh fighting between government troops and LTTE.

The government authorities have not granted permission for resettlement of displaced Tamil families who were residing in LTTE held villages, Pallikudiruppu, Chenaiyoor, Nallur, Koonithivu, Navaratnapuram, Pattalipuram Sampur East, Sampur West, Kaddaiparichchan East and Kaddaiparichchan South, in LTTE held Muttur East and Eachchilampathu division before the outbreak of fighting last year.

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