Three villages to be built to accommodate 30,000 people

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa the Government will build three villages in an area of 750 acres shortly in the name of dead Tamil Leaders to accommodate around 30,000 people expected to arrive from among those families held captive by the LTTE.

Funds have already been allocated for this project which will put a full stop to the term 'IDP Camps' and the concept of `Refugee Camps', Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

Minister Yapa addressing a press briefing at the Information Department said that the three villages namely Ramanadan Sudamdirapuram Vimukthi village, Arunachalam Vedithalathivupuram Vimukthi village and Kadiragamar Erlachchinagar Vimukthi village will be built in an over coming 750 acres. 150 acres from Menik Farm, 450 acres from Menik Farm Phase Two, and another 150 acres from Omantha will be allocated for this purpose. In January around 2,000 people have come to the cleared areas and 778 of people are now staying in temporary camps.

The people who are going to live in three villages will be given television sets, radios, telephones, libraries, play grounds, cooked food and dry rations, school books and other requirements, and especially a daily payment of Rs.100 per person.

These three villages will have all the facilities and components of a normal village located in any part of the country. The three villages will be there till the Government re-establishes Provincial Council, Local Government bodies and other administrative structures, said the Minister.

NGOs had spent a large amount of funds for the North but there is no development of villages or human life visible. The large quantities of fuel found in LTTE held areas carried logos of certain NGOs. Therefore, the Government has decided to allow the NGOs to send relief to the required areas through the Government.

This will enable Sri Lanka to tell the world how it takes care of the Tamil community and the humanitarian operations were carried out not against the Tamils and it was to rescue the Tamils from the clutches of the terrorists. This will show the honesty of the Sri Lankan Government.