India assures 250,000 houses for estate workers

by S. Selvakumar

A Ceylon Workers' Congress delegation headed by its General Secretary and Minister Arumugam Thondaman at a meeting with Indian Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was assured of 250,000 houses for estate workers to be built by the Indian government.

Thondaman's delegation included CWC President Muthu Sivalingam. Indian Union Minister Narayanasamy was associated with Gandhi at the meeting on Friday.

The visiting delegation also discussed the 13th Amendment, vocational training and higher education facilities for upcountry Tamils. An Indian central government delegation was due to pay a visit to Sri Lanka to study the problems faced by those of Indian origin, the CWC was assured.

The Indian government was also called upon to set up schools of higher education for Tamils of Indian origin.

Indian vocational trainers are now in Hatton imparting their knowledge and experience to a batch of upcountry youth and the CWC has called for more such trainers to be sent upcountry.

The delegation had also told India that similar to the problems faced by Tamils in the North and the East, upcountry Tamils also had problems of a different nature.