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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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REPPIA needs Rs. 4 billion by Don Asoka Wijewardena The Rehabilitation of Persons, Properties and Industries Authority (REPPIA) which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in the Eastern province (MIDES) is in need of around Rs.4,000 million to pay compensation for 15,600 people who have been the victims as a result of terrorist activities, civil commotion and political violence. Apart from that constructing 100 housing units called "resettlement model village" for hundred families with five wells in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and Puttlam districts and providing Rs. 12,500 to any refugee as "marriage prosperity allowance" for marriage are some of the activities of the REPPIA, said REPPIA Chairman I.A. Hameed with an interview with the Sunday Observer. Chairman Hameed pointed out that the REPPIA had been providing a series of services, especially for affected persons as a measure of rehabilitation. Referring to rehabilitation of properties Hameed said that industrial loans ranging up to Rs. 5 million at 9% interest, commercial loans ranging up to Rs. 5 lakhs at 9% interest could be obtained with the submission of relevant documentation certified by respective divisional secretaries. Referring to applications received by the REPPIA for compensation purposes, Chairman Hameed said that the REPPIA had already paid Rs. 14 million to 400 affected persons as compensation and added that around 15,600 authenticated files were being processed at the moment. "We have also received some fake claims. Those who are genuinely affected are requested to submit correct documentation with the approval of the respective District Secretary or Divisional Secretary to the REPPIA,"Hameed emphasised. REPPIA Deputy Director S. M. Badurdeen said that the resettlement model village programme which commenced recently had been able to solve the current housing problem, especially in tsunami-hit areas such as Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa districts where some affected people had already gone into occupation in the resettlement model village in Kiran in the Batticaloa district. He noted that construction work in Trincomalee Thoppur area and Lahugala in Ampara district had been going on and added that within 2 to 3 months time affected people would be able to occupy them. He also said that Trincomalee, Thoppur for the Muslim community, Ampara Lahugala in Ampara for the Sinhalese and Kiran resettlement model village for Tamils in Batticaloa district had been designated. Chairman Hameed also said that another 400 housing units with required infrastructure would be constructed in three districts in the Eastern province, Anuradhapura, Polonwaruwa, Moneragala and Puttlam districts at a cost of Rs. 40 million. Hameed stressed that the existence of REPPIA suggested that there were problems in the country such as civil commotion, terrorist activities, political violence and added that it was the bounden duty of each and every citizen to create a society without these problems under that ideal condition REPPIA would not be necessary. |
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