Ruwanthi ABEYAKOON

The Defence and Lands Ministries have completed most of the work in connection with the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations. Some work is ongoing and the ministries should be commended, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said.

He was speaking at a media briefing to announce the progress in  implementing the recommendations and the Cabinet approved National Action Plan.

“Every recommendation has one or more corresponding activity. For each activity there is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and key responsible agencies. A time frame is also given for the completion of each activity,” he said.

“Recommendations also entail activities that run up to three years,” Weeratunga said.

“Separate budget lines to undertake tasks that fall under the National Action Plan will be considered when presenting the 2013 budget.

We are going to have follow up discussions with all agencies involved and the implementations will be vigorously monitored,” he said.                                                                                                                                                                             

The Secretary to the President also said the LLRC report will be translated into Sinhala and Tamil and launched next week.

External Affairs Minister Professor G. L. Peiris said 98 per cent work connected to Internally Displaced Persons has been completed. “We started with 297,000 Internally Displaced Persons. They have not only been resettled, but access to livelihood also provided to them. Ninety per cent work related to the ex-combatants have been completed in line with government’s firm resolve to reintegrate them into society,” the minister said.

He also highlighted that demining the Nothern and Eastern Provinces where once the conflict prevailed is almost completed while the High Security Zones have also been removed, except for one in Palaly.

Source : Daily News