VELLORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday criticised the AIADMK for not improving the livelihood of the Sri Lankan Tamils living at the rehabilitation camps in the State during its 10-year governance.
During 1997-98, when Kalaignar M Karunanithi was the chief minister, the then DMK government built 3,594 houses for the Sri Lankan Tamils and in the next fiscal year, it built over 3,826 houses at the camps. In 2009, the DMK government allocated `100 crore for improving their living condition, Stalin said.
However, in the last 10 years of AIADMK governance, no work was carried for their development, said Stalin. After coming to power in 2021, the DMK government has taken up the issue again, with ministers carrying out inspections and submitting reports on the status of their living conditions, he added.
“After the reports, the government prepared plans and worked out policies to launch welfare measures for you (Srilankan Tamils). You are not refugees and the DMK will always be there for you. I’m happy, proud, and ecstatic to launch the welfare measures for the betterment of the Srilankan Tamils,” said Stalin, while speaking at a government function, where he laid the foundation stone for multiple projects for their betterment.
The houses in all the 106 camps and other welfare measures will be made available to them in the coming weeks and ministers and government department officials will monitor the progress, he said.