By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : Amid New Delhi’s concerns over the condition of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka’s battle-scarred north, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to brief the Indian leadership next week on the “progress” made by a panel on devolution of powers to resolve the ethnic problem.
Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit New Delhi for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) conference, the summit-level talks of which will be held on November 13.
The All Party Representative Committee (APRC), in which the LTTE breakaway group TMVP is also seeking representation, is holding hectic discussions with its members to work out the final modalities of the devolution package to the provinces.
Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana, who is heading the committee for finalising the package, said the APRC process has been expedited and that the panel was holding two meetings per week to reach an early resolution.
“We are happy with the progress that has been made by the APRC,” state-run ‘Sunday Observer’ quoted him as saying.
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa will brief Indian leaders on the progress made by APRC when he visits India this week,” he said adding, so far “consensus” has been reached on 90 per cent of the issues tabled at the APRC.
“We are confident that the rest ten per cent issues will also be resolved favourably,” Vitharana said. He declined to comment on the date of release of the final report but asserted that it could be expected soon.