He said that people had been given access to areas previously categorised as high security zones in the Jaffna peninsula in keeping with government policy to lift restrictions imposed on the population.

In an interview with The Island, Governor Chandrasiri said that the area west of A9 had been almost cleared of mines to facilitate resettlement of the war displaced. Contrary to criticism, UN agencies and some major INGOs had been given access to the area to monitor progress and help the government in its development, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, he said.

According to him, several areas, including Pooneryn, Karachchi, Manthai west, Thunnukai and Vidathalthivu had been cleared of mines. Hundreds of families had been resettled in those areas, he said, adding that the government was in the process of re-opening schools.

Responding to Island queries, he said that the war displaced families were now returning to the Paranthan-Pallai area and Pachchapallai in the Kilinochchi District. He emphasised that they were being resettled with the approval of the UN. He said that the UN had to certify the areas cleared either by the Army or INGOs as being mine free before civilians could move in.

He said that resettlement was also taking place in Oddussudan and Nedunkerni areas, east of A9.

There were only 95,000 men, women and children living in government-run welfare facilities in the Cheddikulam area, though about 300,000 sought refuge at the end of the war last May. He said that the actual number of persons at these facilities could not be more than 70,000 at any given time, as there weren’t any restrictions on their movement.

As part of an overall security plan, the government would increase the police presence in the Vanni, he said. IGP Mahinda Balasuriya yesterday laid foundations stones for new police stations to be built at Mankulam and Kilinochchi before opening the newly constructed police station at Pooneryn.

Governor Chandrasiri said that he was in the process of opening schools and medical facilities built during a 180-day accelerated programme to restore normalcy in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He said that substantial progress had been made with regard to health facilities in the peninsula.

Despite constraints people had cultivated about 21,000 acres of land in the Jaffna peninsula alone, he said. Of them, about 2,000 were located within the Thanankilappu high security zone, he said adding that farmers cultivated some additional land at Araly also in the peninsula. He said that in the Vanni, an additional 8,000 acres had been cultivated in Kilinochchi, Mannar and north of Vavuniya. People would be resettled in the Mullaitivu area in the near future, he said.

Commenting on the war displaced children, he said that about 4,500 children had been accommodated at two government schools in Vavuniya until they could return to their villages with their families.