Compensation for terrorist victims expedited
by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI
The payment of compensation to terrorist and civil commotion victims
has been expedited, said Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Minister
D.E.W. Gunasekera.
Compensation for most of the terrorist and civil commotion victims in
the Northern and Eastern Provinces has been paid at meetings in Jaffna,
Kilinochchi, Vavuniaya, Mullaitivu and Batticaloa.
Compensation for 1983 July riot victims was also paid, the Minister
said.
He said that the Government and Opposition Parliamentarians in the
area also attended these meetings. The Parliamentarians had expressed
satisfaction over the expeditious payment of compensation.
Over Rs.15 million was paid as compensation at the last meeting in
Batticaloa, according to Ministry sources.
A project to assist poor people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces
had been launched by REPIA, the rehabilitation arm of the Prison Reforms
and Rehabilitation Ministry.
REPIA Chairman E.A. Samarasingha said that a low interest housing
loan scheme and a grant scheme for self-employment projects were
launched for the needy.
Applications for financial assistance should be submitted to REPIA
through the Grama Niladharis and Divisional Secretaries. REPIA will
provide 1,000 housing loans at four percent interest for those in
Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, sources said.REPIA will
also provide a grant of Rs.250,000 for small scale self-employment
ventures in agriculture, small industries or fishing.
The grants will be released after the evaluation of project proposals
by an evaluation team, the Chairman said.
|