After his weekend visit to Mullaitivu, Opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday he would take up in parliament the problems that had arisen when resettling war displaced people in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

He said he would also highlight the many problems relating to the development programmes in the area.

Mr. Wickremesinghe and the group of UNP parliamentarians who were on a tour of the North visited Mullaitivu on Sunday for the first time since the war ended in 2009. They were welcomed by Vavuniya organizer P.A. Karunadasa and Mullaitivu organizer Pakiyanathan when they visited Vishvamadu, Uddaya Kattu and Puthukudiriyuppu. His visit had been timed to create awareness among the UNP candidates contesting the forthcoming Pradeshiya Sabha elections in the Mullaitivu district and also to meet those residing in these areas and interact with them about the problems and difficulties they faced.

The day before their visit some unidentified people had forcibly removed the decorations put up to welcome the UNP leaders.

Mr. Wickremesinghe was updated on the ongoing development activities of the government and he visited the house that was occupied by LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in Mullaitivu.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said despite the fact that the war had ended two years ago, the resettlement programme in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts had caused severe problems to the displaced people thus negating whatever was being done.

He said the much glorified Uthuru Wasanthaya had not been effective in changing the lives of the people in the North while the displaced had not got back their original lands.unp parliamentarians Tissa Attanayake, Ravi Karunanayake, Jayalath Jayawardene, D.M. Swaminathan were among those who accompanied the leader on this tour.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka