Senior Indian official to visit Sri Lanka's conflict areas early next month

India's External Affairs Secretary Nirupama Rao said Wednesday a senior government official will visit Sri Lanka's conflict-affected areas early next month to assess the development needs in the region.
Secretary Rao revealed this to media following a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai today to discuss the Sri Lankan Tamil issue and the problems faced by Indian fishermen.
Referring to the plight of the recently resettled Tamils in Sri Lanka's former war-zones, Ms. Rao said Indian government needs to assist Sri Lanka's conflict-affected people beyond rehabilitation.

"Beyond rehabilitation, we have to look at development, we have to look at livelihoods, we have to look at communications, all these aspects. So, we are looking at an integrated manner in which we can help the people of the Northern Province and the Eastern Province [of Sri Lanka]," she said.
Tamil Nadu has complained that the aid sent by India has not been properly distributed among Sri Lankan Tamils in the North and called for an appointment of a committee comprising Indian officials to supervise the aid distribution.
The Foreign Secretary said that India is committed to building 50,000 houses in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

"We are beginning with a pilot project of 1,000 houses," she said.
Ms. Rao said the India has made preparations to open a consulate in Jaffna this year to better assess the needs of the people in the region.
Indian government is keen to establish the old links that existed between the northern parts of Sri Lanka and South India before being disrupted for 30 years by the war.

"We would like to see recreation of that old vision of friendship, affinity that existed across the Palk Strait which had been disrupted by the civil war," she said.