Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, who has been given a bigger Ministerial mandate on 20 December, welcomed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s entry to the Northern development work-and vowed to re-instate IDP funds wrongfully slashed by the recently dismissed administration.
"These long term IDPs, most of whom are Muslims in Northern Province, have suffered for the longest period since the war times. Resettlement and welfare support by the government is vital since there is no one else to spend for them. Before our former Cabinet was replaced by the illegal government of October 26 with its new Cabinet, the former Cabinet had approved funds for resettlement of these old IDPs. The approval was a thorough process, and it was also cleared by the policy Planning Ministry of previous Cabinet. Using these approved allocations, resettlement work already started from August 2018. It is unfortunate that the disputed PM slashed Rs 250 Million from this ongoing allocations, leaving these IDPs in great difficulty," he said.
"Despite leading an illegitimate government, he has even instructed to divert this Rs 250 million for other work away from IDP resettlement. This is an illegal action and harms the ongoing resettlement process of IDPs," Bathiudeen added.
After his re-appointment today Minister Bathiudeen now heads Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce becoming the only Cabinet Minister to hold this portfolio for the fourth term.
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