Date: 2016-01-27 Answered

0367/2016: DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM MULLIKULAM AREA: RESETTLEMENT

367/’15

Hon. Kaveendiran Kodeeswaran,— To ask the Minister of Prisons Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs,—

(a) Is he aware that —

(i) Mullikulam community’s social, economic, cultural, environmental and political rights are vandalized;

(ii) with the final Stage of War, military ordered to vacate their homes immediately without carrying anything;

(iii) thereby they have been brutally displaced from their original places and experiencing great sufferings;

(iv) Mullikulam people strived in many ways to regain their lands and went after the President, Politicians, government officials, but authorities kept blind eye; and

(v) 150 families have now been deprived of the hope of regaining their native places due to a newly established Navy camp in Mullikulam?

(b) Will he inform this House —

(i) whether speedy actions are taken to resettle them in their native villages;

(ii) whether the infrastructure and educational facilities are provided to eliminate their prolonged grievances; and

(iii) whether alternative lands are given in consultation with them, in case they are not resettled?

Asked Date

2016-01-27

Asked by

Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran, M.P.

Ministry

Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Northern Development & Hindu Religious Affairs

Legislature

Eighth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka

Session

First Session

Question History

Answer

(a) (i) I am well aware that not only the residents of Mullikulam, but most, if not all of the residents, particularly of the North and also of the East were affected by the effects of the Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. That is why this Government is committed to addressing the causes and effects of the conflict to ensure that our people will never experience and have to endure a violent conflict again.

(ii) This is not relevant to my Ministry and needs to be addressed by the Ministry of Defence.

(iii) Accordingly, those have been displaced would be considered as internally-displaced persons and the Government is aware of the regrettable suffering that they undergo. Therefore, this Government is committed to eliminating the word, “IDP” and "internal displacement" from Sri Lankan national life within the term of this Government in the shortest possible time.

(iv) The matters brought by the people’s representatives have been conveyed to relevant Government authorities and are being addressed by the new Government.

(v) Measures are being taken to provide redress to the people in Mullikulam.

(b) (i) The following actions are taken to resettle the displaced Mullikulam inhabitants:

one hundred and sixty nine displaced families (169) were given alternative land close to their native Mullikulam village at the rate of 80 perches per family;

while 183 families have registered for resettlement, 108 families out of the same, are permanently resettled in alternate land; and

of this 108 families, 27 families have received permanent houses built by the Navy and 83 families have received Rs. 50,000 worth temporary shelters, which were provided by the Northern Provincial Ministry of Fisheries, Transport, Trade and Commerce, Rural Development, Road Development and Motor Traffic. Another 80 families have received 12 sheets, 8 cement bags per family with the funds provided by my Ministry.

(ii) Further, the following facilities are provided for displaced Mullikulam inhabitants:

while 34 families were provided with toilets (one toilet per each family), five common toilets were built in various places with the cooperation of the UNHCR;
one big drinking water well in Malankadu, five hand pipes and several gravel roads in few other areas were also built at a cost of Rs. 2.9 million;
twenty-seven permanently resettled families were provided with electricity;
provision of electricity to temporary internal roads of the area is complete;
the school which was under the Navy hold was released and is functioning with seven teachers. It has classes from grades one to nine. The school has one permanent building and another temporary building. Rs 3.6 million was allocated for renovating the school which is now complete; and
the Northern Provincial Ministry of Education is in the process of constructing a new school in Mullikulam of which the physical construction work has already begun. This will clearly benefit the children of the area.
The livelihood facilities provided include:
provision of 30 boats and fishing machinery and equipment to 60 beneficiaries with the monetary assistance of the Australian Government;
provision of three boats and fishing machinery and equipment to six beneficiaries with the monetary assistance of the Indian Government;
provision of Rs. 50,000 worth livelihood assistance to 30 beneficiaries with the assistance of the ZOA;
provision of Rs. 50,000 worth livelihood assistance to 62 beneficiaries with the assistance of the UNHCR; and
provision of free seed paddy and subsidized fertilizer to farmers.

(iii) Alternative lands are provided to all the people with their consent whenever original lands cannot be released. However, some people have expressed their unwillingness to settle in the alternative land but wait to return to their original land.

(c ) Does not arise.

Answered Date

2016-01-27

Answered by

Hon. D. M. Swaminathan, M.P.