Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that measures will be taken to promptly assess the damage incurred to the properties due to the recent communal clashes in the Kandy district by Friday (16th) and provide compensation to the victims.
This was stated by the Prime Minister at a meeting held at the District Secretariat following a tour in the area where serious damage was inflicted by the Sinhalese mob on Muslim properties, homes and businesses.
The Prime Minister yesterday led a ministerial delegation with a view to evaluate developments in the aftermath of the recent violence in the Kandy district.
The Premier noting that according to the documents received so far an assessment of houses, religious places and vehicles that had been completely destroyed need to be done and there are 87 completely damaged and 196 partially damaged properties, the Premier asked the officials whether they can assess the damaged properties within a week. The officials have said it can be done by next Friday.
The Premier noted that there were three deaths and instructed the officials to pay compensation to the bereaved families today. He instructed to pay Rs. 100,000 per family initially and later Rs. 400,000 after the cabinet meeting next week.
He also instructed the officials to especially provide some income source to the children of the Sinhalese truck driver who died from the injuries sustained from an assault by a group of Muslim youths.
The Premier noted that 14 Mosques have been damaged especially in the Kengalla area where most of the damage to the properties were seen. For business properties damaged he instructed the officials to provide Rs. 100,000 first and the remainder after the repairs were completed. For residences Rs. 50,000 will be given initially.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also instructed the officials to instruct the banks to write off the loans given to the people whose businesses were destroyed or damaged.
