Resettlement of Batticaloa IDPs begins

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 October 2007, 11:23 GMT]
The first stage of resettlement process of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in areas close to Chengkaladi-Badulla main road A5 Highway, Batticaloa district was initiated Thursday morning 10:00a.m.

5207 civilians belonging to 1447 families will be involved during this first stage and will be resettled in their original places of residence, A.S.M.Sheriff, the Planning Director, Rehabilitation Division, Batticaloa District Secretariat said.

As part of this group, 3266 civilians belonging to 914 families from Koduvaamadu and Pankudaave'li were assembled in Chengkaladi Central College grounds, and after administrative procedures, transported in 17 buses to their areas of resettlement through Karuthapalam.

The IDPs displaced during the recent military offensives launched by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to liberate the areas under the control of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) had sought refuge in the administrative areas under the control of the District Secretaries of Ea'raavoor Pattu Chengkaladi and Koralai Pattu North.