Travel restriction on Jaffna IDPs lifted

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 2009, 09:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence Thursday lifted the travel restriction on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) brought from Vavuniyaa camps to Jaffna who were not allowed to leave Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, it is reported that Ministry of Defence will be allowing private sector buses in Jaffna to operate Jaffna-Vavuniyaa travel service through A9 route. The government, in view of the forthcoming presidential election, has begun to announce concessions to the people of Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.

Nearly 60,000 IDPs brought from Vavuniyaa camps and resettled in Jaffna peninsula had been refused permission to leave Jaffna since their arrival in Jaffna by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities. These people are now allowed to leave and return to Jaffna along the A9 road.

Meanwhile, of the 113 owners of private buses in Jaffna who had applied for permission to conduct travel service through A9 road, 51 owners have been given permission by the Defence Ministry to operate the said travel service.

Their vehicles will be inspected for road worthiness Friday, sources in Jaffna said.

As there are many in Jaffna peninsula wishing to travel through A9 road the service run by Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) is hardly sufficient to meet the situation.

Presently, only a limited number of SLTB buses and an air-conditioned bus owned by a government minister are operating the Jaffna-Vavuniyaa travel service.