Jun 20, Colombo: Authorities in Sri Lanka say that there are still over 6,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) remaining to be resettled in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province.

Mullaitivu District Secretary N. Wedanayagam has said that 6,022 IDPs still resided in the Menik Farm camp in Chettikulam waiting to be resettled.

Among the displaced persons waiting to be resettled are 181 persons from 46 families in the Oddusuddan Pradeshiya Sabha area, 1,351 persons from 385 families in three Grama Niladhari divisions in the Paththuwa Pradeshiya Sabha area in the coastal area and 4,490 people from 1,369 families in the Puthukudiyiruppu Pradeshiya Sabha.

Local government elections to the Puthukudiyiruppu and Maritimepattu Pradeshiya Sabhas have been postponed since last year due to the non-completion of civilian resettlement in the area as the de-mining operation are yet to be completed.

The Sri Lankan government says it has spent US$ 360 million to resettle the 98 percent of the 290,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) housed in welfare centers at the end of May 2009 when the 30-year armed conflict against the Tamil Tiger terrorists in the North and East came to an end.