IDPs in the welfare centers will be resettled soon.There are 31 Welfare Centers in Jaffna District with 936 families and one Welfare Centre in Poonthoddam, Vavuniya with 97 families.
Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs in collaboration with Ministry of Defense and District Secretaries has taken action to resettle the IDPs in the Welfare Centers on the direction of His Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena. For the IDPs in the Welfare Centre, Poonthoddam, Vavuniya, 66 houses are being constructed in Sinnadamban, Vavuniya North and 31 houses are being constructed in Puliyankulam, Vavuniya North covering all 97 IDP families and these houses are scheduled to be completed by September and October 2016.
These houses are being constructed by Gnanam Foundation – a voluntary organization under a MOU signed between Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs and Gnanam Foundation. Therefore, for all 97 families in Poonthoddam, Vavuniya camp permanent housing solution has been found said V. Sivagnanasothy, Secretary, Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs.
For 936 IDP families in the Welfare Camps Jaffna, Cabinet approval has been granted to construct permanent houses. Accordingly, in Kankesanthurai, Keerimalai area 100 houses are being constructed with the support of the Sri Lanka Army on a fast track basis and will be completed in September 2016. Further, 104 housing units are under construction in Palali North under owner-driven concept and scheduled to be completed in October 2016. Further, 250 plots of lands have been identified in the cement factory area to resettle 250 landless families in the Welfare Camps. A further 452 families in the Welfare Camps need to be resettled to fully address the IDPs in the Welfare Camps said by Ministry Secretary V. Sivagnanasothy.
On the instructions of His Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena, Ministry of Defense has already taken action to resettle these families who are living in Welfare Camps and with friends and relatives. It is learnt that 450 acres of land in Kankesanthurai West, South and Center, Palai Vemankamam North and Thaiyyiddy are under discussion for release which will reduce the families in the Welfare Camps by further 100. The Government has given higher priority to release the private lands under State Authorities to enable the IDPs to be resettled and in this regard, a special team headed by Secretary, Ministry of Defense Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi working with District Secretaries to release the private land for IDP's resettlement.
The Cabinet of Ministers at the last cabinet meeting granted approval for the National Policy on Durable Solutions for Conflict Affected Displaced Families.Further, the owner driven 10,000 housing programme has progressed well in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and some of them have reached roof-level whereas others are window-level. 2400 partially damaged houses are being renovated and 7600 sanitation units are being constructed for IDP families including water supply and infrastructure facilities such as internal roads and electricity. Moreover, 12,050 families are covered under the livelihood development program with a maximum of Rs.100, 000/- per family. The beneficiaries under this program include IDPs, refugee returnees, women headed families and socially integrated ex-combatants said V. Sivagnanasothy.