By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is willing to give more funds, besides the Rs.500 crore (around $100 million) which India has already pledged, for resettlement of around 300,000 civilians displaced by the conflict in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Thursday.
When Manmohan Singh met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt earlier this month, he reiterated India’s willingness to enable the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes, Krishna told parliament.
Sri Lanka has assured India that the resettlement of Tamil civilians would be completed in 180 days, he said.
This is of urgent importance from the Indian point of view, Krishna said during his reply to the debate on the prime minister’s recent foreign visits that included a trip to Egypt to attend the NAM Summit.
“The prime minister has already pledged Rs.500 crore (for resettlement of civilians). He is willing to give more,” he said.
India has impressed upon Sri Lanka “to ensure practical and meaningful devolution of powers that will enable all countries to live with peace and honour within the framework of a united Sri Lanka”, he said.