48 Sri Lankan refugees to get Indian passports: Tamil Nadu Minister

Around 48 Sri Lankan refugees residing in the Marakkanam camp will be provided Indian passports, and other welfare schemes announced Tamil Nadu Minister of Minorities Welfare KS Masthan on Saturday. This comes after a demand made by Villupuram MP D Ravikumar. 

MP Ravikumar and minister Masthan visited the refugee camp at Keezhputhupattu village in Marakkanam for the inaugural ceremony of the construction of 440 free houses for the refugees. Responding to requests made by the MP, Masthan announced that the process of providing monthly financial aid to the rehabilitation camp will be simplified from next month. Arrangements will be made for them to collect the same through ATMs, he said. 

He further mentioned, “Special employment recruitment camps will be conducted so that the educated youth in the rehabilitation camps can get job opportunities.” During the meeting, Ravikumar demanded the State government, “change the practice of providing monthly allowance directly after taking their fingerprints, and instead take steps credit the aid to their bank accounts just like other welfare schemes of the State.” 

Since most in the camps were born and raised here, and the war ended 13 years ago with militant groups destroyed, the Tamil Nadu government shall withdraw the ‘Q’ branch security, Ravikumar said. The revenue department could maintain the camps, he said.  

Citing the recent case of a woman refuge at Tiruchy rehabilitation camp receiving an Indian passport, after a High Court order under the Citizenship Act, Ravikumar requested the Tamil Nadu government to find campers for such passports and issue documents to all of them. He also insisted on employment opportunities for the refugees who had received degrees to better their lives.