Mr. Nair has held talks in Sri Lanka on how to help civilians trapped in the conflict

Shiv Shankar Menon told journalists in Delhi that India has already increased the size of the Indian funded hospital in Pulmudai and sent an additional batch of doctors last week.

The Indian government has already shipped more medicine and food supplies for the internally displaced people (IDPs) in the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, he said.

"It is important because supply of food into the conflict zone in February has dropped considerably because of the fighting," he said.

Major issues

Mr. Menon was commenting on the official visit of Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, TKA Nair, to Sri Lanka, last week.

	Mr. Menon says India explored the ways to help reconstruction in the north

Mr. Nair who held talks with Sri Lankan President's Secretary, Lalith Weerathunga, has also called upon President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Indian Foreign Secretary said Mr. Nair's visit was focused on three major issues.

To urge the Sri Lankan government to take step towards "a credible devolution and political package", to explore "how India could help reconstruction in the north" and India's role in humanitarian assistance for the IDPs were the three main topics, he said.

"We are very heartened by the results of Principal Secretary's visit to Sri Lanka," he said.

Mr. Menon said that India welcome Sri Lankan government's recent statements that it is ready for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone.

"We would hope that it progress towards bringing remaining civilians out of the harms way as this kind of situation where each side is blaming the other but civilian casualties continue. We then have to deal with the consequences".

The senior Indian official said India would also explore the possibility of helping Sri Lanka to get people back into "normal economic activity and the normal political life" in the north.