Rehabilitated cadres to assist NE development

23 April 2011 09:15 am Views - 4610

The government said this morning that the rehabilitated former LTTE Cadres will be used in the development process currently underway in the North and Eastern Provinces.

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera said that a special loan scheme with low interest rates will be given to the former cadres in the near future.

Minister Gajadeera was speaking at a function where 483 former LTTE cadres were handed back to their family members after a successful rehabilitation process.

He also emphasized that each month Rs.100 million is allocated to provide assistance, food, language and technical knowledge to the former carders.

Most of these former cadres are married men with three or more children. Steps were taken to release them after many appeals were made with the Ministry by their family members.

The former tigers are currently in nine rehabilitation camps. They undergo 16 different courses in their tenure which is between three to nine months.

More than 12,000 cadres surrendered during the last phase of the war and 7000 of them were rehabilitated and released to society. Nearly 4100 are still undergoing special language and vocational training.

Minister Rishard Bathiudeen, Vanni Security Forces Commander Major General Sumedha Perera and Rehabiliation Commissioner General Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe also attended the occasion at the Vavuniya City Centre. (Supun Dias reporting from Vavuniya)