Chennai: Chief Minister MK Stalin today inaugurated a programme to construct houses for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamilnadu at the rehabilitation camp in Abdullapuram in Vellore. Also, 10 projects announced for the welfare of SL Tamils have come into effect today.
Speaking on the occasion, Stalin said the government will ensure the welfare of Tamil brothers and sisters from Sri Lanka. ‘The AIADMK government for the last 10 years has not come up with any plan for the Sri Lankan Tamils,’ he said.
Stalin had announced in the last budget session that about 7,469 dilapidated houses in the refugee camps would be reconstructed at a cost of Rs 231.54 crore (3,510 houses at Rs 108 crore in the first phase). The welfare schemes set to be launched ahead of Deepavali also include the distribution of five varieties of utensils from Salem Steel Plant and Cooptex dresses to all refugee family members.
One of the pioneering strategies would be the distribution of free LPG cylinders to the 18,000 Lankan Tamil families living in and outside the camps.
The Chief Minister would also increase the scholarship sum for Sri Lankan Tamil youths pursuing higher education besides funding the top 50 engineering aspirants among Sri Lankan Tamil youths.
The government has proposed to provide free cylinder and gas stove with Rs 400 subsidy per cylinder for five cylinders per family in a year.
The Vellore camp has 3,500 persons, who are mainly Sri Lankan Tamils from Mannar of the Northern Province and Trincomalee in the Eastern Province.
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.