Plans afoot to send civilians to villages

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP visited the Menikfarm Welfare Camp at Settikulam, Vavuniya on Friday accompanied by a team of Ministers, Parliamentarians and officials to personally look into the facilities provided to innocent Tamil civilians arriving in Government controlled areas after escaping from LTTE clutches.

Rajapaksa who also inspected the school set up for children of displaced civilians at the Menikfarm Camp premises, said they had come there on the instructions of the President.

The Government treated people of all communities as members of a single family. The Government believed that the sufferings of the people should be ended forthwith by building trust and confidence among communities living in the country.

He assured the people housed in the camp that the Government didn't wish to keep them in the camp eternally.

Quick action would be taken to create the environment for them to return to their original villages according to their wish as soon as demining was accomplished and infrastructure, education, banking and co-operative facilities were restored.

This program was already in progress in Mannar district. He said the freedom won through the sacrifices made by the heroic Security Forces would become meaningful only when the civilians were allowed to return to their original villages.

All this had already been accomplished in the Eastern Province and the people there now enjoy their normal lives after taking up agriculture, industry, trade and other livelihoods.

Disaster Relief Services and Resettlement Minister Rishard Bathiutheen said they visited the Menikfarm Welfare Camp on the President's initiative to find instant solutions to the people temporarily housed there.

The school started for the benefit of the children of civilian returnees was functioning well under the guidance of a qualified staff.

Facilities at the camp would be improved to cater to more civilians arriving from uncleared areas after escaping LTTE clutches.

Nation Building Minister S.M. Chandrasena, Northern Province Governor Dickson Dela Bandara, Defence Ministry Additional Secretary Wickremasinghe, CEB Chairman, E.A.S.K. Edirisinghe, Wanni Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya.

Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya, Vavuniya Government Agent Charles and other officials accompanied Rajapaksa during the tour.