IDP families in Vavuniyaa Poonthoddam asked to vacate

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2011, 16:21 GMT]
About three hundred Tamil families displaced in the war between 1997 and 1999 from the districts of Mullaiththeevu, Ki'linochchi and Vavuniyaa, and sheltered in Poonthoddam welfare centre in Vavuniyaa more than decade, have been instructed by the District Government Agent Mrs P.M.S.Charles and the District Planning Director Mr.V.Kirupasuthan in writing to vacate from the centre before February 15 and return to their original villages. The instruction has been served through the District Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Secretariat and Economic Development Ministry, according to the refugees of the Poonthoddam Centre.

These IDPs say that were displaced more than a decade ago and are staying in Poonthoddam centre for the last fourteen years. They have no own lands and they should be provided with lands and other infrastructure facilities if they are to return to their own villages.

Vavuniyaa District Secretariat has told these IDPs that the instruction has been issued on the basis of the government decision that all displaced should return to their own area.

Vavuniyaa district secretariat has stopped issuing free dry rations to these displaced families from December last year.

Now their survival solely depends on the day to day earning.