Karuna asks Centre to seek details from Lanka on Indian aid

Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi today said the Sri Lankan Tamils "continued to be refugees" in their homeland and asked the Centre to seek details from that government on how it proposes to utilise Indian aid of Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation of the displaced people.

Karunanidhi said he took up the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to Chennai yesterday. "India should seek details on how Sri Lanka proposes to utilise (all) the aid for the welfare of the Tamils who are still refugees in that country," he said. The CM said besides the central assistance, Tamil Nadu government had sent aid material worth Rs25 crore and promised to donate Rs 25 crore more.

Writing in party mouthpiece Murasoli, he said "we expect" New Delhi to seek these details and publicise them. On Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's efforts to strengthen internal security, Karunanidhi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had commended him during the DGPs' meeting in New Delhi.

"It is noteworthy to refer to Prime Minister's remarks stating that the police and security forces played a major role in the peaceful conduct of Lok Sabha polls," he said.