REFUGEE

Nearly 1.7 lakh Tamil IDPs have been resettled in their native places, a Sri Lankan minister has said, adding that the process of rehabilitation is being hampered by the ongoing demining operation in the country's northern part.

"A total of 1,69,938 IDPs have been resettled in their native places within a short period providing them along with provision of health, shelter, sanitary, education, water, electricity and other facilities in their villages," Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe was quoted as saying by the state-owned Daily News yesterday.

The number of IDPs in welfare villages has come down to 1,12,062 from 2,82,000, he added.

Samarasinghe said the government will resettle most of the remaining IDPs by December 31.