Colombo: Sri Lanka has issued a licence to the Liberation Tigers of Tail Ealam (LTTE) to set up a broadcasting station in the Northern town of Kilinochchi and assigned an FM (frequency modulation) band, reports 'The Sunday Leader'.

The licence was issued to the rebel group's 'peace secretariat', "To maintain and operate a private broadcasting station for which equipment worth more than $ 100,000 was imported by the LTTE last month", 'The Sunday Leader' said.

The newspaper said the Tigers were keen to legalise their clandestine 'Voice of Tigers' and had sought a licence to "disseminate news to Tamil people on the ongoing peace process".

In a communication to LTTE 'peace secretariat', which was reproduced in the newspaper, the Mass Communications Ministry secretary has said the "licensee shall provide broadcasting programmes in accordance with the norms, standards and code of ethics followed by the state-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

The import of the equipment had raised concerns in India as to whether the group, outlawed in India, would use it to broadcast propaganda in Tamil Nadu to gain support for itself.

However, India has taken the view that it will not be unduly worried as long as the broadcasting facilities were only for FM transmission, which have only specified frequencies with limited range.

An LTTE cultural wing functionary had recently said the rebel radio had expansion plans to cover South India and Singapore.

PTI