New ID cards to adivasi community:
Minister assures to grant adivasi demands within a month
Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena has directed the Wildlife Director General Dr Chandrawansa Pathiraja to issue new and comprehensive identity cards to the adivasi community.
The minister gave this instruction following a meeting with the leader of the adivasi community Uruwarige Vanniyela Aththo in Dambana recently.
Arrangements have been made to look into the grievances of the adivasi community and grant their demands within a month, the minister told the leader of the adivasi community. This will be carried out under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The minister said only President Rajapaksa had responded to the demands made by the adivasi community from among the past heads of state.
The minister said the demands included the recognition of hills, valleys and rivers in national parks and forest reserves considered sacred by the adivasi community as their heritage sites, drawing up regulations to issue identity cards with the approval of their leader, giving preference to adivasi youth in providing forest related employment, granting permission to obtain forest resources to build traditional houses for community members, rehabilitation of the Kadupahara Ella, Kandegamwila and Keragoda reservoirs in the Maduru Oya reserve and building an electrified fence around Dambana to ward off wild elephants.
Minister Chandrasena said the government will take these steps to safeguard the adivasi community for posterity.
He directed Dr Pathiraja to ensure that all these demands are fulfilled within the least possible time. Uruwarige Vanniyela Aththo appreciated this and said President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true leader who felt the pulse of the people in this country. He added that his community is thankful to the President and the minister for looking into their grievances which were ignored by several past leaders.
Badulla District Parliamentarian Thenuka Vidanagama and Mahiyangana Assistant Divisional Secretary Nilanthi Samarawickrama were also present.
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