Ahead of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s visit on November 3, District Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian and a team of oficials inspected the rehabilitation camp for the Sri Lankan Tamils in Abdullapuram in Vellore on Thursday.
The Chief Minister will launch the scheme for the construction of 3,510 houses at a cost of ₹108 crore for the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the State. The programme will be launched at the Government Industrial Training Institute campus. The camp has 3,500 persons, who are mainly Sri Lankan Tamils from Mannar of the Northern Province and Trincomalee in the Eastern Province "We have inspected the camp and its surrounding areas as part of preparatory work for the Chief Minister's visit to the district next week. We will work out the security aspects for the visit," Mr. Pandian said.
Minister visits camp
The Minister for Minorities’ Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils’ Welfare, Gingee K. S. Masthan, the Minister for Handlooms And Textiles, R Gandhi, the Commissioner of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils, Jacintha Lazarus, and the District Superintendent of Police, S. Selvakumar accompanied Mr. Pandian. Speaking to the refugees and enquiring their demands, Mr. Pandian also received petitions from them to prepare a list of requirements ahead of the Chief Minister's visit. The Training Institute was also inspected.
At present, the Central and State governments provide cash assistance for the head of every refugee family and a separate aid for every additional member, aged 12 and above, and for children up to 12 years. They are also covered under all welfare schemes of the State government.
