DailyMirror
‘Priority to livelihood development, education to displaced children’
Chairman of the North East re-building task force, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa yesterday called for NGO help to resolve issues faced by the internally displaced persons (IDPS) in the North.
Mr. Rajapaksa who addressed a special meeting on resettlement of IDPs organized by Caritas Sri Lanka, the social service arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Colombo yesterday said the government had given top priority to providing education to the displaced children and for livelihood development of the IDPs. He called on the NGOs to help the government in these activities.
He had assured that the fulfilling of the displaced children’s needs would be done as soon as possible.
Responding to a question raised by the priests and nuns on those who have gone missing in the North and the East, Mr. Rajapaksa said the government was currently engaged in rehabilitating 11,000 youth who have been held. He said the names of these youth were being published in the web site of the relevant Ministry. “If a certain person’s name is not included in the list it means that he is no more, Mr. Rajapaksa pointed out.
Chairman of Caritas Sri Lanka and Bishop of Kurunegala Bishop Harold Anthony Fernando who gave the welcome speech had lauded the government’s for its efforts in the resettlement of the displaced. He had also briefed the gathering on the work which Caritas had carried out in the North.
Former National Director of Caritas Fr. Damian Fernando was also present.