India extends its housing project, demonstrating its continued support for Sri Lanka’s growth. The signing of contracts for 10,000 homes in Phase-IV plantation regions is a major cooperative achievement.
In a noteworthy move, India has promised to expand its housing project in Sri Lanka by constructing an extra 10,000 homes in the country’s plantation areas. On Tuesday, the Indian High Commission formally confirmed this commitment by signing two significant contracts related to Phase-IV of the Indian Housing Project.
Two Implementing Agencies, the State Engineering Corporation (SEC) and the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), signed separate agreements with the High Commission. The principal aim of these agreements is to expedite the rapid initiation of the construction of 10,000 dwellings within the planting areas.
Eldos Mathew Punnoose, Head of Development Cooperation Wing and Counselor; Chairman of SEC Rathnasiri Kalupahana; and General Manager of NHDA Kankanamalage Ajantha Janaka were among those who signed the agreements.
With a concentration on the plantation areas, Phase IV of the Indian Housing Project is spread throughout 11 districts and 6 provinces in Sri Lanka. 60,000 dwellings represent the Government of India’s current commitment to this plan. Notably, the first two stages effectively finished building 46,000 dwellings in the Eastern and Northern Provinces, and the third phase—which focused on the plantation areas—is almost finished building 4,000 units.
People-Centric Development Cooperation: In India and Sri Lanka’s people-centric development cooperation collaboration, housing continues to be a key concern. In addition to the Indian Housing Project, numerous housing initiatives in all 25 districts of Sri Lanka are building an extra 2,400 dwellings. With grants totaling close to USD 600 million, India has a sizable development cooperation portfolio of roughly USD 5 billion for Sri Lanka.
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The recent trip by Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay from Colombo to Medawachiya in a roomy coach that India supplied highlights the joint efforts to improve Sri Lanka’s rail network. Railway coaches provided by RITES LIMITED under the Indian Line of Credit made the travel comfortable. Furthermore, the Indian Line of Credit-funded track modifications from Anuradhapura to Omanthai greatly improve rail infrastructure and commuter comfort.
The Indian High Commission emphasized that one of the main areas of development cooperation between India and Sri Lanka is the improvement of the country’s rail infrastructure. This cooperative endeavor is consistent with the mutual dedication to cultivating connectedness and advancing regional economic development.
India’s decision to expand its housing project into Sri Lanka, especially in the plantation areas, is indicative of both countries’ ongoing dedication to cooperative development. The agreements made under Phase-IV represent a significant advancement in the long-standing collaboration between India and Sri Lanka by strategically addressing the housing needs in particular regions.
As these 10,000 homes are being built, the project not only meets the actual demand for housing but also strengthens the friendship and cooperative relationships between the two neighbors in South Asia.
