Indian parliamentary delegation visits Sri Lanka's conflict-affected North

The visiting Indian multi party parliamentary delegation headed by the opposition leader Mrs. Sushma Swaraj visited Sri Lanka's war-battered North today to observe the facilities provided by the Sri Lankan government for the resettled Tamil civilians and the development work in the area.
The 12-member delegation Wednesday morning visited the Kadirgamar relief village in Chettikulam where some of the remaining 6,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are waiting to be resettled in their original homes. District Secretary of Vavuniya, Mrs. P.S.M. Charles has explained to the Indian delegation on the relief provided by the government to the displaced persons and measures taken to restore their lives. The Indian parliamentarians have also talked with the IDPs at the Kadirgamar village inquiring about the facilities at the village and their needs. The Indian parliamentarians visited Puliyankulam in Vavuniya district where the IDPs have already been resettled and engaged in talks with the resettled villagers to get a firsthand look on their problems and needs. They have inspected the Puttur Kuttamadukulam reservoir which was completely destroyed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists. The Ministry of Economic Development has renovated the reservoir, which is the main source of water for the agricultural activities in the area, at a cost of 4.6 million rupees. Commander of security forces in Vavuniya, Major General Sumedha Perera and several government officials also accompanied the visiting delegation. The delegation also declared open the Kanagarayankulam Divi Neguma Training Centre in Puliyankulam on their way to Mullativu. In Mullaitivu the Resettlement Minister Gunaratne Weerakoon has briefed the delegation on the progress of the government's de-mining and resettlement activities in the district. The delegation has commended the government for the facilities provided by the government to the resettled people and expressed satisfaction over the government's efforts to uplift the living standard of the villagers. Sri Lanka's Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa enlightened the Indian team yesterday on the progress of the resettlement of the IDPs in the North. The government has resettled 95 per cent of the IDPs, except those who had fled to India and other countries, and only 6,022 are remaining to be resettled, he has told the Indian MPs. The Minister has said that the government has rebuilt houses for the displaced while the work on the 50,000 permanent houses funded by India is progressing. The Minister has informed the delegation of the relief measures provided by the government to the resettled people such as cash grants, dry food rations for two years and resettlement kits. Rajapaksa also has briefed the Indian MPs of infrastructure development such as roads, railway lines, harbors and airports and the restoration of agriculture, fisheries and other economic activities. The delegation is expected to tour Jaffna and Kilinochchi also where several development projects funded by the Indian government are progressing to assess the resettlement and other needs of the Tamil people. Ministers Rishad Bathiyutheen and the Governor of Northern Province G.A. Chandrasiri also accompanied the Indian delegation.