Forty three Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu, India will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow under the UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation programme, the Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry stated in a release.
Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D.M.Swaminathan who participated in a discussion with the UNHCR, facilitated the process and increased the baggage allowance per person with assistance of the Public Enterprise Development Ministry, SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka.
The UNHCR will provide free air tickets, reintegration allowance of US$ 75 per person, transport allowance US$ 19 per person and monetary non-food grant of US$ 75 per family. Since 2011, 4,589 refugees (16,511 families) have already returned to Sri Lanka, Sivagnanasothy said. Over 64,000 are stationed in 109 welfare camps in India. Totally, over 100,000 refugees are currently in India.
Former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, arrested on allegation of corruption by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has been remanded until July 1 by the Colombo Magistrate court.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Stabilization and NPP National List MP Harshana Suriyapperuma who is tipped to be named the next Finance Ministry Secretary resigned from Parliament today.
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