Funding holding up resettlement

A SUBMISSION to the National Planning and Monitoring Department to secure funds to resettle displaced people at the Bulolo town care centre after an ethnic clash is still being considered.
District administrator Tae Gwambelek said the delay in acquiring funding had hindered resettlement work in pegging and subdividing land to allow displaced people apply to acquire land portions to resettle at Karanas. Gwambelek said a proposal was submitted to Governor Ginson Saonu to sign before submitting to the National Planning and Monitoring Department for funding.
“The ethnic clash forced the settlers from wards three, four and six to take refuge in ward one but they will return to cast their votes in the ward elections,” Gwambelek said.
Gwambelek responded to remarks by Bulolo business spokesman Aaron Akui over the status of the people in the care centre.
Gwambelek said much of the efforts in subdividing land was conducted using District Services Improvement Programme funds but that would affect the delivery of other services and that was why they had sought National Planning and Monitoring Department assistance.
Akui said the future of the displaced people still remained unclear over the last 10 years after being affected by ethnic clashes to vacate wards three, four and six.
Ward one covers Bulolo districts’ administration office, Forestry University, Technical College, Pine Lodge, Housing Commission, police station and barracks as well as Lutheran and Pentecostal churches.
“Our internal refugees still living in unhygienic makeshift shelters depriving them of their human rights and children’s wellbeing is unstable,” Gwambelek said.
“With a population increase at the care centre, without proper homes and opportunities, the people’s ability to earn money to look after their families is limited.
“They’ve resided in ward one for 10 years now and the Government has neglected its moral duty to secure a land to resettle them in the district or compensate them to go settle elsewhere” Akui said.