The Government has decided to settle 5,000 IDP families under the first Phase in the Kilinochchi District by August (15), Presidential Secretariat sources said yesterday.

This follows a Presidential directive to accelerate the process of re-settlement, senior Presidential advisor and Head of Presidential Task Force MP Basil Rajapaksa announced at a meeting held at Security Forces HQ in Vavuniya on Friday, July 24.

The 5,000 families will be resettled in nine Grama Niladhari Divisions.

It was decided that every family would be granted Rs. 25,000 each and provided with roofing sheets, kitchen utensils, agricultural implements and dry rations for a six months .

Rs. 50 million was granted for the development of Education, Rs. 20 million for the development of the Cooperative Sector and Rs. 30 million released for Agriculture Research.

Further funds released were Rs. 5 million to the Irrigation Department to clear all irrigation channels, Rs. 38 million to the Agrarian Services Department to repair and renovate all the minor tanks in the district.

Rs. 60 million was granted for development of the main roads and Rs 50 million to repair roads coming under the Local Authorities.

While the power supply had been connected from the National Grid at a cost of Rs. 1,600 million the supplies to internal street lines were being connected and supplies restored to all Government Institutions,

The Post office, State Banks, Cooperatives, District and Rural Hospitals and Markets were being repaired and re-opened before the date of the proposed resettlement.