Only 10,000 to be resettled

The Government yesterday said that the resettlement of displaced people is nearing completion with only 10,000 out of over 300,000 affected civilians left to be resettled.

"We have just 2,100 families or around 10,000 people left to be resettled," Minister of Resettlement Gunaratna Weerakoon said, adding that they are currently housed in the camps at Settikulam.Over 300,000 civilians who were displaced during the final battle in April-May 2009 were camped in Vavuniya. They were resettled in a phased-out program with international assistance.

"The people who are left to be resettled have come from areas where de-mining is yet to be completed," Weerakoon said.

He said the government has cleared land in the Kombavil area for the resettlement of the displaced people.

"We will block 40 perches of land for each family and build houses for them," Minister Weerakoon said.