NEW DELHI, Feb 16: High Commissioner of India, Gopal Baglay in association with Jeevan Thondaman, State Minister of Estate Housing & Community Infrastructure, Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Plantation laid the foundation stone on a virtual platform for the construction of 50 houses in Walahanduwa estate under the Indian Housing Project grant.
Addressing the meeting, Baglay said India would continue to support Sri Lanka in the current difficult times in its overall socio-economic growth focusing on the priority areas of the Government of Sri Lanka such as water and sanitation, skills development, IT and agriculture. The High Commissioner said the new phase of the housing project for the development of 10,000 houses for plantation areas, promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would begin in the current year.
The Indian Housing Project in Walahanduwa Estate is a part of the Government of India’s flagship Indian Housing Project in Sri Lanka to build 50,000 houses with a cumulative grant of US$ 270 million. Of these, 4000 houses are being built in the Central, Uva, Sabragamuwa and Southern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
These 50, new 2-bedroom houses will be designed in the owner-driven model for the plantation population. The project will be, initiated in close coordination with the State Ministry of Estate Infrastructure & Community Infrastructure, Government of Sri Lanka.
The initiative is in continuation of the people-oriented, development cooperation relationship of the Government of India with the Government of Sri Lanka. India’s total contribution to development assistance to Sri Lanka is roughly US$ 3.5 billion, of which US$ 560 million is under grants.
(Venkatesh Iyer)