The Government will issue a Certificate of Absence to the next of kin of persons who have gone missing owing to various reasons during the recent past, Parliament was informed today.
Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said around 20,000 persons are reported missing during the past few years and the Cabinet had discussed issuing Certificates of Absence on their behalf so as to enable family members to get benefits such as pensions and monies from Widows and Orphans Fund etc.
He explained that death certificates could not be issued unless it can be verified that the missing persons are dead.
The Minister said this while speaking during the debate on Private Member motion presented by UNP Matara District MP Buddhika Pathirana. His motion sought an immediate investigations to be carried out to find out whether the persons who disappeared due to various reasons during the past period of about three decades of war in the North and East are still alive or not.
Chandani Kirinde
The Cyclonic Storm “Ditwah” moved further north from Trincomalee today evening leaving a trail of destruction including more than 90 deaths, over 100 missing and tens of thousands displaced, officials said.
A third rescue attempt to save 28 people trapped on the rooftop of a farm building in Vithikuliya, Nikaweratiya, has failed due to the dangerous water surge from the Deduru Oya.
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