President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to provide rapid solutions to the people who were displaced due to the planning of development projects, the President’s Media Division said. President Rajapaksa gave these instructions during a visit to Kanugahawewa in Kebethigollawa to participate in Gama Samaga Pilisandarak (Discussion with the Village) programme. The village of Kanugahawewa in Kebethigollawa Divisional Secretariat located 73km away from Anuradhapura city was chosen for the discussion. The PMD said LTTE terrorists frequently attacked Kebethigollawa during the separatist war and that 68 villagers from Kanugahawewa and the vicinity were killed when the LTTE terrorists exploded a passenger bus using a claymore mine in Halmillawatiya on June 15, 2006. Residents of these villages had to live in welfare camps from 1995 to 1998 and from 2006 to 2008 due to terrorist activities. Although the threat of terror is over now, they still face a number of serious economic and social issues. The poverty ratio in the village stands at 54% of the total population. Paddy and chena cultivation is the main source of livelihood of the people in Kanugahawewa as well as many surrounding villages. Loss of traditional habitat as a result of displacement due to terrorist threat is a major issue. Therefore, the farming lands have become residual forests. Marking such lands as reserves by the Wildlife and Forest Conservation Departments during their surveys makes it very hard for the people to cultivate. The threat of wild elephants is another major issue faced by the villagers. Stating that the Government’s and his policy is to develop agriculture on a priority basis President instructed officials not to disturb the daily cultivation activities of the people who make a living from agriculture. President Rajapaksa also said that they should have the full support of the political authority. It was decided to hand over the lands identified as residual forests when marking reserves according to the Google map after 2012 back to the people for cultivation purposes immediately. It was revealed during the public gathering that a large number of people have lost their lands due to the implementation of Yan Oya project but no compensation has been paid. President stressed that from now on, priority should be given to providing alternative lands and compensation must be made accordingly to those who lost their lands in the implementation of such projects.