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| Sunday, 20 February 2005 |
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Politics | Today's Top Story |  |
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Set up structures in NE to expedite rehabilitation - SLMC by Rashomi Silva Sri Lanka Muslim Congress last week urged the government to set up a 'Task Force' comprising representatives from all major political parties to broker international aid and to accelerate post tsunami rehabilitation. Party General Secretary Hasan Ali complained that red tape, corruption and lackadaisical attitude stand in the way of rehabilitating tsunami hit North-East. "There are instances where we were prevented from bringing in assistance that we have negotiated due to the existing procedure," said the General Secretary. "Eastern Province is among the areas that took a heavy toll following last year's disaster but sadly it is also one of the areas that has been largely neglected," he complained. The situation was a national disaster and the government alone could not handle it, he pointed out. As a remedy, he suggested setting up of regional level Task Forces with representation from the government, the opposition and other major regional political parties and to give them authority to go before the local and international community to broker aid and to streamline rehabilitation. "This is more important for places like Eastern Province than South, where the government patronage is abundant," Ali said. "You compare Hambantota District with Kalmunai or any other tsunami affected district in the South, the difference is clear. They have not even started to remove debris. If not for the private sector and the general public from South and the other parts of the country those refugees from East are dead long before," he said. |
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