Due to the terrorist-war Northern people did not receive a proper service from the local authorities, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils said. Following the resettlement of war displaced people in their own villages, action would be taken to conduct the Local Government polls in the North to sat up local intitutions, he said.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony held to distribute 72 tractors and other vehicles valued at Rs. 120 million provided by the Minister Local Government and Provincial Councils with the aid of the food product Grant Aid programme of the Japanese Government to develop infrastructure in the Northern Province under Uthuru Wasanthaya Programme at the BMICH premises.

The President had been able to create the necessary background fpr different communities to live as one family who were earlier divided by terrorist war. If not for his maximum commitment to the Northern development and his correct political leadership the Northern people would be still under the custody of Prabhakaran’s brutal terrorism, the minister said.

Under this programme tractors, Backkoe Loaders and other essential equipment were provided to 34 LAA comprising 17 LAA in the Jaffna district, 03 in the Kilinochchi district, 04 in the Mullaitivu district, 05 LAA in the Manner district and 05 Vavunia district.

Rs. 65.5 million were also provided to improve the sanitary facilities in IDP welfare camps located in Cheddikulam of the Vavuniya district.

Rishard Badiudeen, Minister of Disaster Management and Resettlement said that most of the paddylands in Thunukkai which had not been cultivated for several years were now being prepared for cultivation and farm lands of nearly 2000 acres in the Musali DSS Division were now ready for cultivation.

Major General G. A. Candrasiri, Govenor of Northern Province, K. Shivasaki, Acting Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka and C. Herath, Secretary and Mrs. Pathgunaraja Parameshwari, Mayoress of the Jaffna M.C. , Mrs. R. Wijayalakshmi, Secretary of L.G. Ministry of Northern Province and M. G. Nadan, Mayor Vavuniya UC participated in the ceremony.