Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday announced a series of welfare schemes worth Rs 317.40 crores for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in camps in the state.
Informing the assembly under rule 110, the chief minister said that his government would ensure better livelihood for the Sri Lankan refugees.
A statement from the department of information and public relations said, “About 3.04 lakh refugees have come to Tamil Nadu since 1983. While as many as 58,822 members from 18,944 families are residing in 108 refugee camps in 28 districts, about 34,087 members of 13,540 families are staying outside the camps in the state.”
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Pointing out that inspections were carried out at the camps earlier, the statement said that a sum of Rs 231.54 crores would be allotted to reconstruct 7,469 houses that were in dilapidated state in the camps. In the first phace, a sum of Rs 108.81 crore would be allotted to reconstruct 3,510 houses in the camps, the statement added.
To enhance basic facilities like toilets, drinking water and electricity facilities in camps, Rs 30 crores would be allotted and for annual maintenance, Rs 5 crores would be allotted, the statement said.
Explaining about the welfare of the students, the statement said that the government would bear the educational and accommodation expenses of 50 Engineering students and five agriculture and agro-engineering students and the students would be selected on their marks.
The government would also take care of the educational and accommodation expenses for students who are residing in camps and pursuing their higher education, the statement said and added that a sum of Rs 1 crore would be allotted to manage the expenses.
The government has also increased the scholarship amount for polytechnic and undergraduate students, the statement said and added that about 750 students from the camps are studying in government and private colleges every year.
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While the scholarship for polytechnic students was increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000, scholarship for undergraduate Arts and Science students was increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000 and scholarship for undergraduate in professional courses increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000, the statement said. “A sum of Rs 1.25 crores would be allotted to provide scholarships to the students,” the statement added.
Skill development programmes would be conducted for the youths to enhance their job opportunities and a sum of Rs 10 crores would be allotted for the same, the statement said.
While the government would be allocating Rs 261.54 crores for reconstructing their houses and other infrastructural developments, Rs 12.25 crores would be allotted to provide better education and job opportunities and Rs 43.61 for uplifting their livelihood, the statement added.