98 HOUSES IN BHAGAT SINGH PURAM HANDED OVER IN NUWARA ELIYA

A98 houses built under the Indian Housing Project at Bhagat Singh Puram at Helboda Estate in Nuwara Eliya were handed over to the beneficiaries by High Commissioner of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu yesterday.

Senior politicians, Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera Minister of Hill Country New Villages Palani Digambaram, Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilake and Minister of Special Area Development V. Radhakrishnan also attended the event.

Minister Mangala Samaraweera addressing the event described India as a true friend, always ready to assist Sri

India has undertaken more than 70 peopleoriented development projects in various fields including health, education, housing, skills development, infrastructure, vocational training among others, all across the country

Lanka during emergencies and crisis situations.

High Commissioner Sandhu in his remarks on the occasion, congratulated the proud owners of the newly built independent houses. He underscored that the Indian Housing Project in Sri Lanka with a grant of over US$ 350 million (close to 50 billion LKR), was the largest Indian grant assistance project in any country. He also recalled that out of the total commitment of 63,000 houses, 47,000 houses had already been built.

Expressing India’s support for realization of Sri Lanka’s developmental priorities, he reiterated Government and people of India’s commitment to participate with the people of Sri Lanka in their journey towards prosperity and development.

India has undertaken more than 70 people-oriented development projects in various fields including health, education, housing, skills development, infrastructure, vocational training among others, all across the country. About, 20 such projects are currently under progress. The overall development portfolio of Government of India in Sri Lanka is close to US$ 3 billion out of which US$ 560 million are in grants.

Several Members of Parliament and Central Provincial Council, senior officials from Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), Implementing Agency – Habitat for Humanity, Sri Lanka, Pusellawa Regional Plantation Company and a large number of people from the region attended the function. The village was named after Bhagat Singh, a famous Indian freedom fighter and youth icon, whose martyrdom day falls on March 23.