The government's resettlement grant, known as the Unified Assistance Scheme (UAS), provides a cumulative package of Rs.65,000 (Livelihood Support Rs.15,000 and Housing Grant Rs.50,000) to each internally displaced family that resettles. This package was recently increased to Rs.100,000 (Livelihood Support Rs.25,000 and Housing Grant Rs.75,000) by a Cabinet decision.

The World Bank loan to the Government of Sri Lanka for North-East Emergency Reconstruction provided a funding component of US$ 10 million as support to the Government’s UAS programme.

The design of the programme provides maximum transparency and ensures proper targeting of beneficiaries. The Village Rehabilitation Committees (VRCs), established by the Commissioner General of RRR, will compile a detailed list of returnee families in the respective villages. The list will be submitted to the Divisional Secretary (AGA) for certification and forwarded to the District Secretary (GA) for approval.

The disbursement of funds will be implemented through the North East Community Restoration & Development Project (NECORD) office, which is under the North-East Provincial Council (NEPC). Each beneficiary family will be required to open a bank account to which the initial installment of Rs.25,000 as livelihood support will be credited.

The programme will also have an independent monitoring mechanism, supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), that will examine beneficiary targeting processes and recipient utilization.

The distribution of UAS grants under the new scale was initiated at a ceremony held at the Vavuniya District Secretariat (Kachcheri) on Saturday 22 February 2003. It was at this location, exactly one year ago, that the Hon. Prime Minister signed the Ceasefire Agreement.