The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, S. Aloka Bandara, today (30) said that the process of providing relief assistance and compensation to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah is currently in its final stages.

Accordingly, 434,375 housing units have been identified as eligible for the Rs. 25,000 allowance provided for cleaning houses affected by the disaster. Of these, compensation has already been paid to 423,914 housing units.

He further noted that 163,509 housing units have been identified for the Rs. 50,000 allowance to restore furniture and equipment damaged by the cyclone and that steps have been taken to provide this allowance to 115,757 housing units thus far.

In addition, guidelines have been issued to grant an allowance of Rs. 15,000 to students affected by the disaster. A total of 195,157 students have been identified, and payments have already been made to 141,382 of these students, he said.

Mr. Bandara added that District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries are working to ensure the accuracy of compensation payments and the proper identification of affected individuals.

He further pointed out that complaints regarding delays are not justified, as the process is complex and requires careful verification.

The Ministry Secretary further emphasized that the cooperation of all parties is essential to complete the compensation payments as soon as possible.