Speaking in a debate on demands for grants on the Public Department, Mr. Anbazhagan said neither the Centre nor the State government was for sending the refugees back to Sri Lanka. But if they wanted to rejoin their relatives in the island, the government would not prevent them from doing so.

Explaining the various steps taken by the government to improve the basic amenities at various refugee camps in the State, the Minister said that in the current year the government had allotted Rs. 55.48 crore for providing assistance to the refugees.

It had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 44.34 crore during 2008-09 towards relief measures for the refugees and sanctioned Rs. 15.98 lakh towards infrastructure development in the camps.

It had also submitted proposals to the Centre to the tune of Rs. 16 crore for improving amenities at the camps for its concurrence.

The Minister said the State had always been generous in providing assistance to the Sri Lankan refuges. It had sent relief materials for the affected Lankan Tamils which were distributed through the International Red Cross.

It had constituted the ‘Sri Lankan Tamils Relief Fund’ for providing assistance to the war-affected Sri Lankan Tamils and Rs. 50.84 crore had been mobilised up to March this year.