Minister Devananda assures IDPs of improved facilities

The Internally Displaced People who are currently sheltered in various IDP centres in Vavuniya described the LTTE leader Prabhakaran as a monster when the Minister of Social Services and the Chairman of the Northern Special Task Force Douglas Devananda met them yesterday.

Minister Devananda who is currently in Vavuniya visiting the IDP centres met the IDPs at Gamini Vidyalaya welfare centre yesterday.

Thousands of displaced civilians with tears narrated their gruesome experiences in the hands of the LTTE before they escaped into the Government controlled areas according to the Minister.

Minister Devananda told the Sunday Observer it was really heartening to listen to those innocent civilians who were now in the safe hands of the Government.

“They were removed of everything except their lives. Conscription of civilians went on unabated with even the feeble and the sick being forced to carry arms by the LTTE,” he said.

He assured President Mahinda Rajapaksa would ensure the safety of the IDPs once the Wanni region is completely cleared of LTTE threats and they would be allowed to return to their homes.

“The Government has no intention of keeping the IDPs for a long period at their camps and once the LTTE menace is rooted out they would be resettled in their original places,” Minister told the IDPs.

He also said that the timely action of Government by setting up the IDP camps in Vavuniya had saved the lives of thousands. Otherwise they would have perished like the innocents died in the hands of the Nazis during World War II