(UTV|COLOMBO) – The All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) slammed Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to slash budget allocations for Northern Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“The funds allocated for long term IDPs in the last budget has been drastically slashed” said the Leader of ACMC, Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen immediately after leaving the House on Friday (30).
“These long term IDPs, most of them are Muslims in Northern Province, are the group to suffer the longest since the war times. Their resettlement and welfare support by the Government is vital since there is no one else to spend for them. Before our former Cabinet was replaced by the illegal Government of 26 October with its new Cabinet, the former Cabinet had approved funds for resettlement of these old IDPs. The approval was a thorough process, and it was also cleared by the policy Planning Ministry of previous Cabinet. Using these approved allocations, resettlement work already started from August 2018. It is unfortunate that the newly appointed Prime Minister Rajapaksa has slashed Rs. 250 million from this on-going allocations, leaving these IDPs in great difficulty. Despite leading an illegitimate Government, he has even instructed to divert this Rs. 250 million for other work away from IDP resettlement. This is an illegal action and harms the on-going resettlement process of IDPs and therefore I, as a Parliamentarian from Vanni District have complained to our Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today to mediate and resolve this. We want IDP resettlement process to resume as soon as possible” Parliamentarian Bathiudeen said.
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