IDPS to Be Resettled in Kilinochchi Next Week

Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Rishard Bathiudeen said the government was planning to begin resettling IDPs in the Kilinochchi area next week.

Bathiudeen added that he was not aware of Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Deputy Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya’s alleged assurances to the IMF that displaced civilians would be resettled by March.

“We are working under the command of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” Bathiudeen said. He added, however, that the President had requested the resettlement process be expedited as much as possible. “We have around 1,000 people working hard on demining and 24 demining machines at work,” Bathiudeen said. Bathiudeen added that the process was going quickly.

It was earlier reported that the government had assured the IMF that there would be complete resettlement by March next year. Cabraal and Siyambalapitiya signed a Letter of Intent to the effect that the government hoped to resettle between 70,000 and 80,000 people by the end of the year.

By Raisa Wickrematunge