More facilities are now being provided to all the Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camps in the State, said Transport Minister K.N.Nehru, here on Saturday.
The Minister who distributed the Government’s free colour television sets to 230 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee families living in the Kottapattu camp here, said that Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi took immediate steps for providing more facilities and the Government had sanctioned Rs.100 crore recently of which Rs.55 crore would be spent for carrying out development works and Rs.45 crore for construction of new houses in the refugee camps.
Mr. Nehru said that the Government had sanctioned Rs.11 lakh for carrying out electricity repair works in the Kottapattu and Vazhavandankottai refugee camps and the work would commence soon. He said that a free health camp under the Chief Minister’s Varumun Kappom scheme would be conducted on Dec.9 in the camps.
The Minister pointed out that photographs of all the families in the refugee camps would be taken on Dec.13 for issue of biometric smart cards under the Kalaignar’s Health Insurance Scheme for Life Saving treatments. He also distributed tricycles and hearing to five disabled persons. Later, he distributed free colour television sets to the beneficiaries at the Vazhavandankottai refugee camp.
Collector T.Soundiah who presided over the function, said that the Government had ordered for providing all facilities under the various Government welfare schemes to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the State and pointed out that their rights would also be safeguarded.
Tiruchi Mayor S.Sujatha, MLA K.N.Sekaran, District Revenue Officer V.Dakshinamurthy, Tiruchi Municipal Corporation Commissioner T.T.Balsamy, District Supply Officer T.Veeramani and others spoke.
