The Tamil Nadu Government has sanctioned ₹ 317 crore towards the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils living across the State, said Gingee K.S. Masthan, Minister for Minorities and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, in Coimbatore on Monday.
After a departmental review meeting at the district, the Minister told presspersons that nearly 7,000 Sri Lankan Tamil families were living in the State at 106 places allotted by the Government when M. Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister.
The Minister said that construction of 3,500 houses for Sri Lankan Tamils is under way and work to build 3,500 more houses would begin soon.
A separate fund was allocated by the Government for improving the higher education enrolment of the children of Sri Lankan Tamils in agriculture and engineering courses, he added.
Along with Ministers M.P. Saminathan and N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, he also distributed various welfare measures to the Sri Lankan Tamils.
