Lankan refugees shifted

Tiruchirapalli, June 27 (UNI) As many as 73 Sri Lankan efugees,housed in the Mandapam Camp near Rameswaram, were shifted to the Kottapattu Refugee Camp (KRC), the second largest in the state.

The refugees Comprising 18 families, including 25 women and 18 children, refugees arrived in special buses yesterday from the Mandapam Refugee Camp (MRC) following overcrowding there.

According to camp officials, currently there were 488 houses in the camp located on eight acres of land inside the Kottapattu Refugee Camp (KRC), which housed 1,555 refugees, including 642 women.

With the arrival of fresh refugees yesterday, the total number of inmates in the camp had gone up to 1,628, including 667 women and 342 children.

The KRC was established in 1983 following sudden influx of refugees from Sri Lanka due to the ethnic crisis.

They said since the camp was housing the maximum number of refugees, there was no scope to meet any fresh arrivals.

Similarly, a temporary camp for Lankan refugees at Valavandankottai, established in 1989, was also packed to capacity.

At present, the camp had 1,024 refugees, including 350 women.

However, the district administration is making all efforts to accommodate more refugees at Valavandankottai Refugee Camp.

MORE UNI GSM KD KP1655