TN sends over 40,000 tonnes of relief material to crisis-hit Sri Lanka

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday dispatched another round of essential items to the economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka, sending over 40,000 tonnes of relief material since May.

Chief Minister M K Stalin had earlier moved a resolution in the state Assembly to send humanitarian aid to the island republic.

DMK MP Kanimozhi flagged off the third consignment of 16,595 tonnes of the items through the sea route from the VOC Port in Tuticorin in the presence of state ministers on Saturday.

An official release in Chennai recalled Stalin earlier moving the Assembly resolution to provide 40,000 tonnes of rice, 500 tonnes of milk powder and 102 tonnes life-saving drugs to Sri Lanka.

Efforts were made to identify the type of rice consumed by the Lankan people and the same was procured from 85 rice mills in the state, it said.

Stalin himself had flagged off the first tranche in May this year while another consignment was sent last month.

With today's shipment, the state has sent 40,000 tonnes of rice, 500 tonnes of milk powder and 102 tonnes of life-saving drugs, with the government allocating a total of Rs 196.83 crore towards this exercise, including cost of transportation by ships.

Of this, Rs 8.22 crore was allocated from the contributions received to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund and the rest was state allocation, it added.

The government's initiative has been lauded by various quarters and provided much-needed relief to the people of Sri Lanka, the release said.

The Stalin-led government will closely monitor the situation in the island republic and take all efforts to ensure humanitarian aid for its people, it said.

Kanimozhi, the local MP, said in a tweet that she flagged off the relief material to the Lankan people who are "grappling with various difficulties".

State ministers Anita R Radhakrishnan, Gingee K S Masthan and P Geetha Jeevan, and officials participated.

Sri Lanka has been experiencing its worst economic crisis that has resulted in skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.