Foreign Secretary Shringla visits Jaffna; briefed on Palaly airport’s development
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Sunday inspected Jaffna’s Palaly airport in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated Northern province where he was briefed by officials on the development work undertaken with India’s assistance. Shringla arrived in the island nation on Saturday on a 4-day visit during which he will meet the top leadership, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, and review the bilateral ties between India and the island nation.
“Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Sunday inspected Jaffna’s Palaly airport, yet another of India’s development engagements in the island,” the Indian High Commission here said in a statement.
In 2019, India provided Sri Lanka with 300 million Sri Lankan rupees towards upgrading the Palaly airport's runway. After Lanka christened Palaly as its third international airport in November 2019, India’s Alliance Air ran a twice weekly flight between Palaly and Chennai. With the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, the operations were halted.
Shringla also visited the Jaffna Cultural Centre which, he said, was constructed with an Indian government grant of $11 million.
He visited the iconic Jaffna Cultural Centre, which is built with Indian grant assistance. “The iconic, state-of-the-art cultural centre will help people of Northern Province reconnect with their roots and in nurturing our shared cultural heritage,” the statement said.
Shringla talked about India’s help to support the maintenance of the Jaffna Cultural Centre. “I am happy to announce that the Govt of India will support the maintenance of this building for 5 years,” Shringla said.
Shringla arrived in Jaffna after his visit to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. “This is a site of spiritual importance not just for Sri Lanka but also for India,” he said after being
received at the foremost Buddhist shrine in the island and receiving blessings there.