Monitoring distribution of aid sent for Lankan Tamils - India

With Tamil Nadu MPs expressing concern over the proper utilisation of aid sent by Indiafor rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka, the Indian government on Wednesday said it was continuously monitoring the relief efforts.

Foreign minister S M Krishna also said he would be visiting Sri Lanka by August-end or the first week of September.

“Doubts have been expressed whether the beneficiaries are receiving the aid sent by India. We are heavily dependent on the assessment given by International Red Cross and the UNHCR... We are continuously monitoring the situation on the basis of periodic assessments,’’ Krishna said in reply to a calling attention on the rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils.

He rejected a demand by members of AIADMK, CPI, CPM and MDMK to send an all-party parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka, adding that New Delhi had impressed upon Colombo to work towards a “just and fair settlement’’ of all outstanding issues involving Sri Lankan Tamils.

Tamil MPs expressed concern over the plight of IDPs and asked the government what it intended to do as the money and relief material sent by Indiawas not being spent properly.

Maintaining that PM Manmohan Singh had raised the issue during the recent visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Krishna said, “We will stay engaged with Sri Lanka’’ on issues relating to building further on the 13th amendment adopted by Sri Lankan Parliament which gave effect to devolution provisions of the Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987.

Responding to T R Baalu’s contention that 52,000 Tamils were staying in refugee camps of Sri Lanka, the minister said there were between 35,000-40,000 IDPs as per figures conveyed to the government, Times of India reports.