Sri Lankan President assures equal benefits for North and South

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured to provide all the benefits enjoyed by the people in the southern part of the island to the resettled people in the North.
Addressing the last group of displaced civilians resettled in the Wellamulliwaikkal area of Mullaitivu district, the President also asked them to work hard not only for the welfare of their own families, but also for the wellbeing of the future generation.

The President noted that about 99 percent of IDPs are resettled in their original homes and only one percent is resettled in the government housing schemes.

Sri Lanka resettled the last group of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) Tuesday and closed down the Manik Farm camp in Vavuniya.

Sri Lankan authorities resettled 1,186 people belonged to 361 families and each resettled family was provided with dry rations, home electrical appliances and loans for self-employments.

The President also presided over the over the progress evaluation meeting of the Kilinochchi and Mullativu districts held at the cooperative cultural hall in Kilinochchi to discuss the progress of development projects and to plan for new projects.

He instructed the district officials to launch development programs that could benefit all communities equally and pointed out the need to implement projects recognizing the needs of the public to eliminate wastage of funds.

President Rajapaksa told the officials that funds have been allocated to develop 730 kilometers of roads in the Kilinochchi and the Mullativu districts and the government has taken measure to fill teacher vacancies in the area soon.

According to President's Media Coordinating Secretary Wijayanada Herath, several projects including a building of a technical college, a canned fish factory and a fisheries harbor are in the cards and developing the tourism industry in the area has also been discussed at the meeting.

The President also opened the newly setup Divisional Secretariat office of the Mullativu Muhudubada Pattu area at a cost of 27 million rupees.

Ministers Douglas Devananda, Rishad Bathiyutheen, Gunaratna Weerakoon, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, and Defence and Urban Development Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa also participated in the resettlement ceremony.-->