President instructs immediate resettlement of Miriyabedde victims

President Maithripala Sirisena instructed officials to take immediate action to find alternate places for those affected by the Miriyabedde landslide, Presidential Secretariat said. President Sirisena who questioned officials regarding steps taken to provide shelter to the landslide victims, instructed the officials to give resettlement priority and see that the families are resettled. Reports stated around 77 families were displaced following the landslide. Officials have identified land suitable to resettle the families and the President issued orders to the finance Ministry Secretary to release funds to construct houses for the displaced families. The President also instructed the authorities to send a team on May 14 including the Disaster Management Minister, an official from the finance Ministry and other government officials to visit the area and submit a report of their findings by Monday. President Sirisena issued the instructions at a meeting with the National Council for Disaster Management at the President's Office yesterday (May 11). This was the first meeting of the National Council after January 2013. Addressing council members, the President expressed his regret for not meeting even once last year after having experienced a number of disasters. He underscored the importance of actively getting involved in projects to safeguard the people from natural disasters. Officials told the President that the main reason for landslides was constructions carried out without proper inspection. The President also queried about steps taken to resolve the issue of providing clean water to the people in Valikamam, Jaffna.