Resettling displaced families accelerated

The resettlement of families who get displaced due to the construction of the proposed Yan Oya reservoir has been accelerated.

Irrigation Minister Vijith Vijayamuni Soyza said at a special meeting held at the Yan Oya Project Office that those who were living on land demarcated for the project would be resettled before the construction commenced.

Eighty one families in the Horowpothana Divisional Secretariat Division and 135 families in the Gomarankawada DS Division are being granted Rs. 228 million for housing. The affected families are given lands to construct houses at Mailawewa and Kajuwaththa in the Gomarankadawala area in Trincomalee and at Issnawewa and Omaradaka in the Horowpothana DS Division in the Anuradhapura district.

The resettlement scheme is supervised by Horowpothana District Divisional Secretary M. Mubarak and Gomarankadawala Division Secretary Chandana Samarakoon.

Anuradhapura Government Agent R. M. Wanninayake said that those who are losing their lands due to the Yan Oya project would be paid compensation for their land soon.

He said providing land was in progress

The landless families would be given 1 3/4 acre of land. Wanninayake said.

He said the families who had left their villages due to the war and terrorism and are living in the project area would be considered for land and financial dividends.

The resettling families are allowed to get sand from the project area, the AG said.