PM gives instructions to expedite compensation of Kandy victims

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that measures would be taken to promptly assess the damage to property incurred due to the recent communal clashes in the Kandy District by 16 March and provide compensation to the victims.

The Prime Minister said this at a meeting held at the District Secretariat following a tour of the area which saw a Sinhalese mob inflict extensive damage on Muslim homes and businesses.

The Prime Minister yesterday led a ministerial delegation to evaluate the aftermath of the recent violence in the Kandy District.

Wickremesinghe noted that according to the documents received so far an assessment of houses, places of worship and vehicles that had been completely destroyed needed to be done and there were 87 completely damaged and 196 partially-damaged properties. The Premier asked officials whether they could assess the damaged properties within a week. The officials have said it could be done by 16 March.

The Premier stated that there were three deaths and instructed the officials to compensate the bereaved families by today. He instructed that Rs. 100,000 be paid to each family initially and later Rs. 400,000 after a Cabinet meeting next week.

He also instructed the officials to provide a source of income to the children of the Sinhalese truck driver who died from the injuries he sustained after being assaulted by a group of Muslim youths.

The Premier noted that 14 mosques had been damaged, with the majority of them being in the Kengalla area where most of the damage to property was seen. 

For damage to businesses, he instructed the officials to provide Rs. 100,000 first and the remainder after repairs were completed. For residences Rs. 50,000 would be initially given.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also instructed officials to instruct banks to write off the loans given to the people whose businesses were destroyed or damaged.

Pix by Pradeep Pathirana