Compensation Process Must Not Exclude Anyone, President Stresses
21-Dec-2025.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized the need to address issues that have arisen in the compensation process, ensure efficient implementation, and provide compensation to all those entitled without excluding anyone.
He instructed that the government grants of LKR 25,000 for house cleaning and LKR 50,000 for purchasing household items be distributed before Dec 31.
A special discussion was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Dec 20 under the President’s leadership to review district-level programs planned under the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” initiative and the issues encountered in implementation.
Secretaries of the Ministries of Defence, Agriculture, Irrigation, Water Supply, Fisheries, Transport, Housing and Construction, heads of relevant institutions, and all District Secretaries participated.
Compensation for damage to houses and crops, the operation of welfare centers nationwide, resettlement of affected people, restoration of livelihoods, and district-level infrastructure development programs and their progress were discussed in detail.
Resettlement and identification of land for that purpose were also discussed, and the President stated that a separate housing plan would be prepared for key districts, followed by further discussions with all stakeholders.
He stressed the need to immediately evacuate people from high-risk areas and resettle them in safe locations, and noted that compensation for housing damage must be provided through a fair and transparent process.
The President also inquired into irrigation rehabilitation, compensation, and seed paddy distribution programs aimed at preparing farmers for the upcoming cultivation season.
Progress on compensating damaged livestock farms, restoring livelihoods, assisting small businesses affected by disasters, reviving the fisheries sector, and promptly completing the distribution of the LKR 15,000 allowance for school students was also reviewed.
The President further inquired into the program to reissue damaged passports and national identity cards.
