Resettling IDPs in Vavuniya discussed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 September 2002, 20:16 GMT]
The Defence Secretary said Saturday that immediate resettlement of displaced families in areas close to high security zone in Vavuniya district is impossible. However, at the request of Defence Secretary Mr. Austin Fernando, it was agreed at the conference held Saturday at Vavuniya district secretariat that a committee comprising government and security officials and Liberation Tigers leaders should submit a report regarding resettlement within two weeks, after visiting the areas.

The Defence Ministry Secretary arrived in Vavuniya Saturday on the instructions of the Prime Minister to review the situation in the district with regards to resettling internally displaced families in their areas.

Vavuniya area commander Major general Shantha Kottegoda, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mannar and Vavuniya Government Agents, Vanni Rehabilitation Minister Mr. Noordeen Mashoor, Vanni district TNA parliamentarians Messrs Sivasakthi Anandan and Raja Kuhaneswaran, LTTE Vavuniya political head Mr.S.Elilan, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation representative Mr.S.Moorthy and Sri Lanka Red Cross activist Mr.Kishor attended the conference.

Parliamentarians requested that internally displaced in Vavuniya district should be resettled in their areas. They requested that prompt action should be taken to resettle those in welfare centres and camps, and that furthermore, the displaced should be allowed to cultivate their paddy lands.

About six hundred forty displaced families should be resettled at Chemamadau, Ilavankulam, Vengalachetty and Nedunkerny areas. Each displaced family will be given fifteen thousand rupees as resettlement allowance, the conference was told.

However, the Defence Ministry Secretary told the conference that in areas close to main army camps, which are considered high security zone, immediate resettlement is impossible. Hence a decision was taken to visit these areas by a committee comprising government and LTTE officials and to submit a report regarding resettlement within two weeks.