The Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa met the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here on Friday and apprised him of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to conduct polls in the Tamil populated province.

President Rajapaksa has on Friday has issued a proclamation to the Elections Commissioner to conduct the Northern Provincial Council election. The Elections Commissioner had stated that the polls for the Northern, North Western and Central Provincial Councils will most probably take place on September 21 or 28.

President Rajapaksa last year vowed to conduct the long overdue provincial elections in the North in September.

The Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa informed that as regards the devolution of power to the Tamil population, necessary changes to the proposed draft 13th Amendment to the Constitution will be sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee on July 9.

However, the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid insisted on the need to fully implement the provisions of 13th Amendment and to go beyond it so as to ensure meaningful development of Sri Lanka. He urged Rajapaksa not to do anything to dilute the provisions of the proposed 13th Amendment.

The devolution of power to the Tamil populated Northern Province has been long delayed since the Rajiv Gandhi- JR Jayawardena Accord signed in 1987.

The Sri Lankan Minister Rajapaksa also met the National Security Advisor of India Shivshankar Menon and the Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.

He expressed his appreciation for the vast number of projects that are being undertaken by India especially in the Northern and Eastern provinces. He said that there was great appreciation amongst the people of Sri Lanka for the variety of projects being undertaken, especially the housing project which was proceeding extremely well.

Earlier in the day a group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu met the Sri Lankan Minister Rajapaksa told him about the harassment being faced by them on the sea at the behest of Sri Lankan authorities. Rajapaksa advised them not to cross the international maritime boundary.