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Army willing to adjust camp boundaries to expedite closure of IDP camps
View(s):By Chris Kamalendran
The Government is expediting a programme to close down all camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the north, by offering constructed houses, land to build own houses and providing financial assistance to build houses.
The moves come as UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon visits Sri Lanka next week.
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Ministry Secretary, V. Sivagnanasothy said to facilitate the closure of the camps, the military is building houses or, IDP families are being offered land or, encouraged to build their own houses with State assistance.
The Government maintains 31 camps for IDPs in Jaffna for 971 families.
To facilitate the resettlement, some 600 families have been identified to be provided with land, while 100 houses under construction by the military in the Kankesanthurai area, is nearing completion. More than 300 families were given letters assigning them with lands in the north.
Mr Sivagnanasothy said, the Government, from its last Budget, has allocated Rs 8,000 million for resettlement programmes which includes persons living in camps, as well as some 10,000 more families living with friends and relatives.
Jaffna Additional District Secretary (Lands) N. Muralitharan told the Sunday Times, the military, at a meeting held in Jaffna this week, disclosed that the boundaries will be adjusted, enabling the return of lands to its original owners.
“As the military will have to retain a certain amount of land for national security, we are looking to purchase private lands from persons willing to sell their lands, if they are living overseas or from those who do not require the lands any longer,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UNSG will meet President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and will participate in an event involving youth under the theme, ‘Reconciliation and Coexistence: Role of Youth’.
In Jaffna he will meet the Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray, Leader of the Opposition, R. Sampanthan, members of the TNA, and visit a resettlement site.