| Thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were promised re-settlement in their original homes to coincide with the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Jaffna earlier this week had to return empty handed after the authorities thought otherwise.
Thousands of IDPs were taken to two separate locations at the Duraiappah Stadium and the AGA’s office in Tellippalai and kept in hope for several hours before being told to return to their temporary shelters scattered across the peninsula.
The bulk of these persons were earlier residents in areas which are now demarcated as High Security Zones.
Earlier the Social services and Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda had promised the IDPs re-settlement saying that all the military barricades and other obstacles will be taken down with the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Minister Devananda told the Sunday Times yesterday that the Government will keep to its promise adding that the re-settlement will have to be carried out in stages and in a proper manner.
“There are several logistical issues that will have to be sorted out before the final settlement is done,” he said without elaborating.
Mr. Devananda said that the previous plans had to be revised as all persons could not be sent to the High Security Zones together.
On Friday the farmers who were earlier in Ariyalai North which was in the HSZ were allowed to return and cultivate, he said.
Meanwhile President Rajapaksa during his visit also met with the Jaffna Bishop Thomas Savundranayagam and said that he would gradually ease the High Security Zone restrictions and people allowed to visit religious places immediately, a spokesman for Bishop’s House said.
There are an estimated 80,000 persons whose original homes are situated within the High Security Zones. They are currently residing with relatives and friends elsewhere in the North and East. |
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