Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Tuesday assured the Parliament that three lakh Tamil civilians displaced due to conflict with the LTTE would be "resettled shortly".

Nearly three lakh people have been displaced in northern Sri Lanka as a result of the military's just-ended offensive against the Tamil Tigers.

"We are taking care of them. They will be resettled shortly," the Foreign Minister told the House, even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Colombo to "show imagination and courage in meeting the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people to live their lives as equal citizens."

"The Tamil problem is larger than LTTE," Singh told the Indian parliament.

Lankan plans to resettle over 80 percent of the displaced families by this year itself though the authorities have to grapple with the problems of basic infrastructure and clearing of land mines in the Wanni.

In May, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa set up a high-level task to develop the embattled North and resettle the displaced Tamil civilians.

The task force headed by the President's brother, Basil Rajapaksa, is mandated to prepare strategic plans, programmes and projects to resettle internally displaced persons and rehabilitate and develop economic and social infrastructure of the Northern Province.

Other tasks assigned to it include coordinating activities of the security agencies of the government in support of resettlement, rehabilitation and development.

The task force will also direct and oversee the implementation of the said plans, programmes and projects of the relevant state organisations, including the provincial authorities.

It has also been authorised to coordinate with all public and private groups and civil society for the proper implementation of programmes and projects.

The task force will seek, identify and apply innovative solutions to problems and constraints confronted in the execution of its mandate and regularly review the progress of the implementation of the said programmes and projects and will take immediate corrective actions where necessary.

The Presidential directive appointing the task force with effect from May 7, 2009 requires it to complete its mandate and report to the Sri Lankan President within one year.