By P Sivaramakrishnan BBC Tamil service

The relief materials that were earlier distributed through the ICRC are to be distributed by the UN agencies.

Cooking utensils, groceries including condiments, plastic cans and mats, slippers for the children and elders form the fourth such consignment, according to state government officials.

Nearly 300,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are housed in temporary camps in northern Sri Lanka.

The shipment is scheduled to leave the Chennai port on 06 August and reach Colombo port two days later.

UN distribution

The materials will be received by the Indian High Commission in Colombo and handed over to the UN agencies for distribution among the Tamil people, says a top official of the state government.

Since "a decision as to who will distribute it needs to be finalised" was the reason for the delay in despatching the consignment to Sri Lanka, the official said.

The relief materials from the state were earlier distributed through the ICRC. The latest consignment is to be distributed by the UN agencies.

The Indian government and the Tamilnadu government are in "continuous assessments" of the materials needed and in what condition, says the official.