Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Rishard A. Badhuideen yesterday said that the Government had postponed the second phase of the resettlement of IDPs in Silavathurai scheduled for yesterday.

The Minister said that 2,100 persons (520 families) were to be resettled in their former places of residence under the ‘Uthuru Vasanthaya’ programme.

This was because the Government wanted to give the utmost priority to addressing problems faced by the increasing number of IDPs fleeing from the clutches of the LTTE to seek refuge under the protection of the Government in relief villages in Vavuniya.

Sources from the Vavuniya District Secretaries office said that steps had been taken by the Presidential Secretariat to compile all personal data relating to the IDPs whilst they were in the camps and issue them with Special Identity Cards.

Furthermore, with the provision of kitchen utensils and other requirements to cook the IDPs were to be provided dry rations so that they could cook their meals in the future, the sources said.

Former IGP and Presidential Advisor on North East Infrastructure Chandra Fernando said that Resettlement of IDPs in the Mannar District was a ongoing process moving ahead once the UNDP authorities issued the demining certification.

From the (5) of May we have had batches to go and see visit their former places of residence and after that we would ensure that the resettled persons have access to clean drinking water, sanitary facilities, Post offices, Cooperatives and Schools.

It was only on April (30) ,2009 that Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa personally undertook the task to launch the Uthuru Vasanthaya programme where the initial batch of 409 IDPs belonging to 122 families displaced from the Musali Divisional Secretariat in Silavathurai Mannar were resettled.

Action was taken to provide fishing boats and ancillary equipment to carry out their livelihood of fishing and dry rations, drinking water, sanitary facilities and other essentials and ensure that public transport services, schools, co-ops, Post Offices were in operation with the support and cooperation of UN Agencies, INGOS.