Centre considering giving residential status to Lankan Tamils

Centre is actively considering granting residential status to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India, Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi said today.

The proposal is under active and sympathetic consideration of prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Soni Gandhi, he told reporters here.

The Centre would study the legal problems, if any, for according residential status, he said, adding Sonia Gandhi also supported the move which was mooted by the ruling DMK at its conference in Kancheepuram few months ago.

On increasing the budget allocation to the 115 Sri Lankan refugee camps in the State, in addition to Rs12 crore announced by him recently, Karunanidhi said 10 state ministers had already visited these camps and would submit their report on November 10 and based on it, the government would take action.