Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-02-01

Resettlement of internally displaced landless families in the welfare centres in Jaffna District

- Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted previously for taking necessary measures for granting a block of land in extent of 20 perches at a cost of Rs. 700,000 per each for 381 landless families living in the welfare centres in Jaffna District, subject to the valuation of the Chief Valuer. 233 families have been identified as landless families out of 409 families currently in welfare centres in Jaffna District and they have made requests to obtain alternative lands in close proximity to their birth places. However, obtaining a 20 perch block of land at a sum of Rs. 700,000/- has been found to be difficult as per the current prices of lands in those areas. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing, to purchase blocks of land in extent of 10 - 20 perches from private owners subject to the valuation of Chief Valuer without exceeding aforesaid amount of money and provide them to the said families and to take necessary action to settle those families in the said lands expeditiously by preparing a mechanism to construct houses on those lands parallel to aforesaid task, was approved by the Cabinet.