By Kelum Bandara
Around 300 ex-LTTE combatants who arrived in Vavuniya along with the internally displaced persons are to be rehabilitated and re-integrated with their families under a programme to be implemented within the camps where they currently stay, a Government official said yesterday.
The official who insisted on strict anonymity told the Daily Mirror yesterday that ‘informal talks’ had been held with the National Peace Secretariat in this regard. At a preliminary survey of the IDPs, these ex-combatants were identified, he said,
“We are planning to rehabilitate and re-integrate them with their families. We spoke to the National Peace Secretariat in this regard. However, we have not conducted a formal discussion with any other responsible organization to launch this programme,” he said.
So far, 32,722 IDPs have arrived in Vavuniya from the uncleared areas of which 4,621 have been accommodated at the Menik Farm Welfare Centres. The others stay in 12 transit camps located in schools and public places.
The official said that the Government had given instructions to speed up the construction of temporary houses to which those people at the transit camps are to be shifted soon.
He said that 15 mentally retarded persons and 200 disabled persons had been identified in the survey conducted among the IDPs.
Meanwhile, National Peace Secretariat Head Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha said there were 250-300 persons who admitted to being LTTE combatants. Prof. Wijesinha said that 32 hardcore fighters identified among them had already been sent for rehabilitation while the others stay with their family members.
Courtesy: dailymirror.lk