Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s letter [to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh] on the status of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu is under the consideration of the Union government, P. Chidambaram, Union Home Minister, said on Saturday.
Mr. Chidambaram, who called on the Chief Minister at his residence, was responding to a reporter’s query regarding the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s resolution adopted at the party conference last week in Kancheepuram, that over one lakh Tamil refugees living in different camps of Tamil Nadu, be allowed to become permanent residents.
[According to a senior official here, the Chief Minister had written to Dr. Singh that the stay of the refugees must be “legally regularised”.]
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On the question of sending a delegation of Members of Parliament to Sri Lanka, Mr. Chidambaram replied that such an idea was also being examined.
The Union Minister held a 30-minute-long meeting with Mr. Karunanidhi and said the issue of measures to be taken for the return of the internally-displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka from camps to homes came up in their meeting. Mr. Karunanidhi made certain suggestions.
A decision on the next course of action would be taken after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna discussed the matter with the Prime Minister.
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