Seeking to recast its relationship with the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees, the DMK, coming to power after a gap of 10 years, has rolled out a Rs 317.40 crore package of welfare schemes while rechristening the Sri Lankan Tamils Refugee Camps as Sri Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation Camps and restoring the honour.

Taking a leaf from his father and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who had implemented a Rs 100 crore welfare scheme for the Lankan Tamils in 2009, Mr M K Stalin announced a slew of measures to ensure that the Lankan Tamils lead a secured and dignified life during their stay in the state.

“This Government will ensure a secured and dignified life to the Lankan Tamils who had been living without basic amenities in 108 camps in the past few years,” said the Chief Minister, making a Suo motu statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 27. Since 1983, a total of 3,04,269 Lankan Tamils had come to the state, he said. While 58,822 are living in 108 camps in 29 districts, 34,087 are living outside the camps after registering themselves with the local police stations.

Addressing the basic issue, he said the government would rebuild 7,469 badly dilapidated houses in the camps at a total cost of Rs 231.54 crores in phases. In the first phase, 3,520 houses would be built this year at a cost of Rs 108.81 crores. Other basic amenities such as electricity, drinking water supply and toilets would be provided at a cost of Rs 30 crore. A survey undertaken by the government revealed that Infrastructure and other basic amenities in the camps have deteriorated in the past calling for immediate attention, he said.

A special Sri Lankans Tamils livelihood development fund with a corpus of Rs Five crore would be set up to enable annual maintenance works in all the camps in the state, he said. Besides addressing the basic needs, the government wants to encourage the Lankan Tamils to pursue higher education, he said and announced financial assistance for meritorious students.

The government would fully meet the educational and hostel expenses of 50 students based on their marks and first five students who are pursuing Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering courses, he said adding the government would also bear the educational and hostel expenses of all Postgraduate students in the camps. The government would make an annual allocation of Rs One crore for the purpose, Mr Stalin said.

The Chief Minister said around 750 students from the camps joined Arts and Science Colleges and Polytechnics every year and the scholarship presently given to them was not sufficient and announced enhanced scholarships up to Rs 20,000.

He also announced an Employment Skill Development programme for 5,000 youths in the camps at a cost of Rs 10 crore. The Chief Minister also announced Rs 25,000 each to the 300 Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the camps to improve their living conditions and encourage them to launch small and medium enterprises.

Besides, 321 SHGs selected last year would be given Rs 75,000 in addition to Rs 50,000 already allotted. The monthly doles given to the heads of the family, elders and children below 12 years would also be enhanced, he said. Mr Stalin further announced free rice, free gas connections, gas stoves with a one-time outlay of Rs Seven crore. In addition, each family in the camps would be given a subsidy of Rs 400 per gas cylinder for five cylinders at a total cost of Rs 3.80 crore.

Mr Stalin also announced free distribution of clothes and bedsheets to the Lankan Tamils in the camps with an annual outlay of Rs Three crores and free stainless-steel vessels at a cost of Rs 1.97 crore.

An advisory committee would soon be set up to find solutions to the long-term issues such as granting Indian Citizenship to the Lankan Tamils living in the country and to facilitate those who want to return home. ‘‘sPerarignar Anna (former Chief Minister C N Annadurai) had said the sea water tastes salty because of the tears shed by Tamils living offshore and we are here to wipe out the tears,” the Chief Minister said.

Lankan leaders thank cm mk stalin

Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister of Youth and Sports and son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has welcomed the welfare package announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin for the Sri Lankan Tamils living in the state.

“While welcoming Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin’s statement on Sri Lankan refugees, after the end of the war in 2009, then government of Mahinda Rajapaksa welcomed back refugees who had fled to Tamil Nadu. According to stats, 3,567 families have returned to Sri Lanka with the help of UNHRC facilitation,” Namal Rajapaksa tweeted soon after Mr Stalin rolled out the package in the state assembly on August 27.

“Those who have returned and who require assistance have been provided with houses and livelihoods. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa will ensure all refugees who return back are safe in their homeland and can restart their lives,” Mr Namal Rajapaksa further said.

Sri Lanka State Minister of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure Facilities Jeevan Thondaman, who is on an official visit to India also expressed his gratitude to Mr Stalin for announcing the welfare package. Mr Thondaman, who is also the General Secretary of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) met Mr Stalin on September 1 and discussed the ties between India and the Sri Lankans of Indian-origin living in the estate sector of Sri Lanka.

Mr S C Chandrahasan, Founder and Chief Functionary of OfERR (Organisation for Elangai Refugees Rehabilitation) termed the welfare package a holistic and historic approach by Mr Stalin. More than the welfare package, the Chief Minister has bestowed honour to the Lankan Tamils living in the state for more than three decades, he said reacting to the package.

The Chief Minister addressed every single issue concerning the Lankan Tamils living in the camps and this showed his concern for the hapless Tamils. The Chief Minister had rolled out the welfare package to the Tamils living in the camps after a detailed survey and meticulously considering all aspects after listening to their grievances. “We have no words to express our gratitude. We are simply overwhelmed,” he said.

Referring to Sri Lanka Prime Minister’s son Namal Rajapaksa’s remarks that Sri Lankan would be happy to receive the Tamils and ensure their safe living, Mr Chandrahasan Referring to Sri Lanka Prime Minister’s son Namal Rajapaksa’s remarks that Sri Lankan would be happy to receive the Tamils and ensure their safe living, Mr Chandrahasan

More than 30 years had gone since the Lankan Tamils landed on the soil of Tamil Nadu, almost empty handed as refugees in the 1980s and Mr Stalin has given a new meaning to their lives now, he said. The Lankan Tamils should also not forget the Rs 100 crore reliefs of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, he said. After the break out of the ethnic war, the rich and affluent moved out and settled in the western countries while the poor came to Tamil Nadu. The people of the state received them with warmth. Since then, over 4,500 Lankan Tamils became graduates after their arrival and “this has not happened in any part of the world,” he said. Describing the welfare package as “something unique” Mr Chandrahasan said Tamil Nadu has shown to the world how refugees should be taken care of.

The question of Indian citizenship to the Lankan Tamils has to be looked in depth as it is in the hands of the Union Government. No doubt the Citizenship would help them to own properties, build houses, get employment and bring a host of other privileges. But given the extent of facilities being made available by the State government, the issue of Citizenship should not bother them much, he opined. His earnest appeal to the State government would be that it should ensure all the announcements made by the Chief Minister went down the line and implemented in full. (Mr Chandrahasan is the son of iconic Tamil Politician S.J.V Chelvanayakam, popularly known as Thanthai Chelva. He survived nine attempts on his life before settling down in Chennai).

Lankan Refugees thank CM

The Lankan Tamils living in camps thanked the Chief Minister wholeheartedly for the welfare package. “We have been living here for three generations and we receive assistance only during DMK regimes. After former Chief Minister Karunanidhi had announced welfare measures, Mr Stalin has announced now, says Ms Chitra Devi, an inmate in a camp in Trichy.

“We are immensely happy that Mr Stalin has said that the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee camps should henceforth be called as Sri Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation camps,” said Ms Mayuri, also from the camp. We would be more happy

if we could enjoy complete freedom in the state and conferred Indian Citizenship, she said.