Colombo: India on Tuesday assured Sri Lanka's
war-displaced Tamils of all kind of assistance, as Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao visited the IDP camps in the country's
north to get an overview of the process of their resettlement.
"We are prepared to assist to the best of our capacity
and do whatever we can," Rao, who arrived here last night,
told the locals in Vavuniya.
She visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in
Vavuniya this morning and asked about their welfare. Rao flew
this morning to the Wanni security forces headquarters and
travelled by road to the IDP camps.
She visited the Chetikulam Menik Farm IDP camp and
later headed for a meeting with the Vavuniya Government Agent.
The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to inspect
de-mining programs in the north before heading for Jaffna.
In order to facilitate and enable rapid resettlement
and rehabilitation of the IDPs, India has deployed seven
demining teams in the neighbouring country.
In June 2009, India announced Rs 500 crores for relief
and rehabilitation and resettlement in Northern and Eastern
Sri Lanka. The immediate relief assistance last year included
2.5 lakh family relief packs which were mobilised by Tamil
Nadu Government; deployment of an emergency field hospital for
six months and two consignments of medicines for the use of
the IDPs.
India also sent three consignments of 2600 MT each of
shelter material and distributed 70,000 agricultural starters
packs to revive agricultural activities. It had also gifted 55
buses to Northern, Eastern and Central Province besides
conducting an artificial limb fitment camp.
Recently New Delhi gifted four lakh cement bags for
resettling IDP families to assist them to repair their damaged
houses.
India has announced construction of 50,000 houses for
the IDPs in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
It is also assisting Sri Lanka in several
infrastructural projects in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka
including railway lines, harbour, cultural centre, stadium and
vocational centres.
Rao is scheduled to visit Mullaittivu in the north and
Trincomalee in the East tomorrow before returning to Colombo
in the afternoon of the same day to interact with Tamil and
other leaders.
She is expected to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda
Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister G L Peiris on Thursday before
flying home.
Rao was accompanied by Indian High Commissioner to Sri
Lanka Ashok Kanta and Deputy High Commissioner Vikram Misri
besides senior Sri Lankan officials.
Rao also expressed hope that Sri Lanka government will
do their best to overcome the problems faced by IDPs.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 23:28