Over 25,000 to be resettled in Batticaloa district

Second stage of Govt's resettlement drive:

by Shanika Sriyananda

Over 25,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be resettled in the Pattipola Divisional Secretariat in Batticaloa under the second stage of the government's resettlement drive, which begins on June 1.

The refugees now living in IDP camps are given dry rations, medicine and clothes with the help of local and international NGOs. Pattipola which was under LTTE control, is now under the control of the STF.

According to the Director General Special Projects of the Presidential Secretariat Lalath Abeygunawardena, villagers had abandoned their houses in Pattipola on the instructions of the Security forces." There was slight damage to their houses as the LTTE damaged these houses before they fled the area", he said.

The government targets to complete the second stage of the resettlement program within 10 days. "Water is the main problem in the Pattipola area as the wells need to be cleaned. We will start the cleaning soon and the schools will also be cleared to commence studies", he said adding that agriculture is the main livelihood in Pattipola.

The government has successfully completed the first stage of the resettlement drive in Porativupattu DS, where over 27,936 IDPs have been resettled within 14 days. Steps have also been taken to continue with the relief measures to the IDPs resettled in Porativupattu until the day-to-day life returns to normalcy.

Refugees receive dry rations, medicine and clothes with the help of the local NGOs in the area. Schools and all government institutions have been re-opened with the restoration of infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity and water.

However, school attendance is still low as the families need time to commence their livelihood. The resettled people in Porativupattu DS have been given temporary Identity cards and according to the Presidential Secretariat source security has been strengthened 24 hours.

With the successful completion of the first stage of the resettlement program, the Treasury has decided to allocate Rs. 2 billion to expedite infrastructure facilities in these areas.

The allocation will be used to provide better healthcare facilities, improve infrastructure and rebuild schools. Meanwhile, the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) in its recent report stated that the resettlement process was at a satisfactory level but highlighted the need that some social aspects had to be looked into to bring the day-to-day life in these areas back to normalcy.

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