The Indian government has committed Indian Rs 5,000 crore towards
reconstruction and rehabilitation of internally displaced Tamils in war torn Sri Lanka,
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said.
Speaking at a consultative meeting held at Satyamurthy
Bhavan on the Centenary celebrations of Congress stalwart Kakkanji, Chidambaram
said the value of the pacts that were inked between Indiaand Sri Lankaduring the recent visit of Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was to the tune
of Rs 5,000 crore.
“We have agreed to provide Rs 3,500 crore loan to Sri Lankaat a negligible rate of interest. The loan is repayable over 20 years,” he
said. The Central government would reconstruct railway tracks besides building
new railway routes in Sri
Lanka. “We have come forward to open up a
consulate in Jaffnasoon,” he noted.
Earlier, after discussions with Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi, Chidambaram told reporters that he apprised him on the pacts that
were inked during the visit of Rajapaksa. Indiahas agreed to give Rs 1,000 crore to Sri Lanka to build 50,000 houses
(each house costing Rs 2 lakh) benefiting the war displaced Tamils. “Both
the governments are studying the modalities of giving the money directly to the
family heads through banks with the assistance of the Sri Lankan government,”
he said.
As regards the 57,000 persons in camps, he said Rajapaksa had
committed to settle them in their hometowns soon. The Union government has
urged Sri Lankato bring suitable amendments in its legal framework facilitating devolution of
powers to the minority Tamils. The aid that is being channelled to the island
nation would be monitored.
ENS
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