CM opens 90 new houses in SL Tamil refugee camp

Kanyakumari: Chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated 90 houses built for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at Rs7.85 crore at their rehabilitation camp in Agastheeswaram panchayat in Kanyakumari district. He later directed officials to fulfill the inmates' demand for a ration shop and community welfare centre.Stalin who arrived in the district on a two-day visit interacted with the inmates of the camp. In a statement on X, he highlighted his govt's comprehensive support for Sri Lankan Tamils, emphasising the transition from temporary relief to permanent stability. He said, 5,771 students have been provided with scholarships worth Rs11.07 crore to pursue higher education in three academic years. "The Dravidian model govt is providing financial support, skill development training, etc to self-help groups to maintain their (refugees') livelihood. We expect the Indian govt to quickly grant them the citizenship they deserve, as they have been living on Indian soil for a long time. Until then, our voice will continue to be heard for our Tamil brothers and sisters," he said.Earlier, Stalin inaugurated Ayyan Thiruvalluvar statue silver jubilee arch, constructed at a cost of Rs1.45 crore in Kanyakumari, and the statue of Kumari Komedhagam Ponnappa Nadar in Nagercoil, constructed at a cost of Rs50 lakh, and unveiled the statue of former chief minister M Karunanidhi at Puthalam.Speaker M Appavu, minister Mano Thangaraj, MP Vijay Vasanth, MLAs Rajesh Kumar and Tharahai Cuthbert, secretary for Tamil development and information V Rajaraman, director of information and public relations R Vaithinathan, district collector R Alagumeena, and others were present.Earlier, police detained a youth who was caught flying a drone during a reception for Stalin in Panagudi in Tirunelveli district. Police said the incident, in violation of the no-fly zone ban, occurred while the CM was en route to Kanyakumari. As DMK members gathered to welcome him, the drone was spotted hovering over the crowd. Security personnel acted immediately to ground the device. The operator, identified as Guhan from Kanyakumari, was taken into custody and investigation is on.