The Indian government would give another Rs. 500 crore to the Sri Lankan government towards rehabilitating Tamils displaced by the civil war, after the country submitted the project report, said Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram on Sunday.
Talking to reporters after meeting Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence, Mr. Chidambaram pointed out that India had already given Rs. 500 for rehabilitation work.
“We announced that another Rs. 500 crore would be released. But we are yet to get the project report from the Sri Lankan government,” he said. Stating that the Indian government had discussed in detail the report of the 10-member delegation that visited Sri Lanka, he said he explained everything to the Chief Minister.
“The MPs’ delegation has listed the steps taken by the Sri Lankan government. We discussed how to help the Sri Lankan government to fulfil its promise,” he said adding that he would inform his Cabinet colleagues, especially External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna about what he had discussed with Mr Karunanidhi.
Asked whether the Sri Lankan government had started sending the Tamils to their homes after the visit of the Tamil Nadu MPs’ delegation, Mr. Chidambaram said 5,000 people had already been sent to their places.
“It has started in a slow manner. It has to be speeded up. We will take steps to ensure that all the Tamils are sent to their homes,” he said.
Asked about the reports that the Tamils who gave information to the Tamil Nadu MPs’ delegation about the condition of camps had been “kidnapped” and kept in secret, Mr. Chidambaram said he was not ready respond to unconfirmed news.
