Libraries for IDP children

Ananda KANNANGARA

Libraries for schoolchildren of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be established in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar districts shortly. The Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Bathiudeen on Friday, prior to his departure to the USA on an official visit told the Sunday Observer that the proposed libraries will be established along with schools. They will be set up under the three task forces, appointed by Minister Bathiudeen on Friday. The objective of establishing three task forces was to look into the smooth functioning of health, food and education facilities of over 68,000 IDPs who have currently crossed over to liberated areas from the LTTE clutches.

“In addition, these task forces would be responsible for establishing pre-schools for children, especially those who were deprived of attending schools for several years due to prevailing conditions,” the Minister told.

He also urged officials in the task forces to provide uninterrupted essential services as water, electricity and healthcare for IDPs.

He said he had already directed Government Agents in Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi and other key areas to provide shelters, camps and sanitation to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Minister Bathiudeen further said that in the next few days a large number of IDPs are expected from uncleared areas and Government will have to allocate a large sum of money to provide them with necessary facilities.

“In addition we are continuously providing all essential food items such as wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, dhal to all areas where people live,”

He said during the past three weeks nearly 200 lorry loads of essential food items were despatched to Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi areas.

The Minister has also informed the security personnel at places where the goods are being loaded to supervise the food items carefully, so that all lorries could be able to reach their destination without any difficulty.