Indian External Affairs Minister assured:

IDPs will be resettled soon

by P. Krishnaswamy

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP who led the three-member high level delegation to New Delhi this week assured Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna that the Sri Lankan Government had no intention whatsoever of keeping Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in welfare villages and camps even a day more than necessary and they will be resettled in their own villages before long as pledged under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 180-day resettlement program, the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, told the Sunday Observer. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Lalith Weeratunga were the other members of the delegation. They also met Indian Defence Advisor M. K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Wijay Singh during their visit to discuss bilateral matters.

The delegation apprised India of the current situation with regard to resettlement of the IDPs.

The LTTE had heavily mined all Northern areas and the IDPs cannot go back to their villages without a proper and complete demining operation.

Infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity and water supply have to be provided for the settlers, Weeratunga said.

The sudden influx of refugees, about 300,000, was handled properly by the Government.

India has already extended support in the post-conflict humanitarian relief assistance and has pledged support towards the resettlement process.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for Northern Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Basil Rajapaksa’s steps to lift restrictions on fishing, were explained and India pledged assistance towards improving the fishing industry and providing avenues to restore the livelihoods of settlers, Weeratunga said.