India can give Lanka Rs 500 cr more: PC

 
This, he said, was in a bid to ensure that Tamil civilians uprooted by the recent 'Eelam War IV' were able to resume their normal lives.

After a meeting with  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi here, the home minister, in an interaction with the media, recalled that the Government of India had already pledged to give Rs 500 crores to help the Sri Lankan Government resettle the Internally Displaced Tamils (IDT) in the Island's North.

Chidambaram's meeting with Karunanidhi comes close on the heels of Tamil Nadu  MP’s return from Sri Lanka after visiting IDT camps there. The team has already submitted a report on their visit to the DMK leader and a copy of it has also been sent to the Central Government, it is learnt.

Since October 15, the Rajapakshe regime had begun the process of sending the IDT to their respective areas of habitation. Of the 2.53 lakh Tamil refugees in various camps, 58,000 Tamils will be going back to their homes and villages in the first phase in 15 days, as assured by Colombo to the Indian MPs' team.

Chidambaram said as per the information reaching the Government, 5000 Tamils have so far left the camps and gone back to their respective habitations in Northern Sri Lanka. "Initially, this (process) looks to be slow, but will pick up later," the Home Minister said. The Centre would do everything possible to help resettle every Tamil refugee in their respective places, he added emphatically.