Stalin launches housing scheme for Sri Lankan Tamils in TN
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched Sri Lankan Tamils Lives Improvement Scheme yesterday, to improve the living conditions of the Sri Lankans, who came to Tamil Nadu as refugees.
He laid the foundation for the construction of houses for the Sri Lankans in Vellore. Stalin announced on the occasion that in the first phase 3,510 houses would be constructed. As a part of the scheme, 7,469 houses would be constructed at a cost of Rs 317.40 crore, of this Rs 312.16 crore would be utilised in the first phase.
Each house will be of 290 sq ft and will have amenities like electricity, toilets, stormwater drains, drinking water and connecting roads. These facilities are expected to cost Rs 30 crore.
Stalin noted that enough kerosene as not available to the Sri Lankans and they are not eligible for the a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, so the state government would provide each family free LPG connection and a hotplate and will spend RS 7 crore for the project.
He told the Tamil speaking Sri Lankans on the occasion that he considered himself as their sibling and told them not to feel that they are refugees or orphans. He added that they were being rehabilitated in Tamil Nadu. Sri Lankan Tamilians started migrating to Tamil Nadu since 1983.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would bear the entire higher education and hostel expenses of 50 Sri Lankan Tamil students in camps, based on their marks. It would also meet the education and hostel fees of the first five students pursuing agriculture and agricultural engineering courses and all postgraduate students. An employment skill development programme for 5,000 youths in the camps was also launched by the Chief Minister.
Currently, 19,496 Sri Lankan Tamils are living in 106 rehabilitation camps in the State and 34,087 people are living outside the camps.
Stalin flayed the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government for ignoring the Sri Lankan Tamilians.