Colombo, May 6: The Eastern Province holds special significance in connectivity initiatives between India and Sri Lanka, Indian envoy Santosh Jha has said, as he visited the three districts in the province to take stock of several India-assisted projects.
During the visit last week, Mr. Jha, India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, highlighted the multi-sectoral grant assistance package consisting of 33 different projects throughout the province in diverse areas as well as ongoing discussions between the two governments to collaborate for the comprehensive development of Trincomalee, an official statement said.
He took stock of several projects being implemented by the Government of India for the people of the province and visited various sites of historical, cultural and commercial significance.
He also highlighted the various connectivity and energy projects being pursued between India and Sri Lanka, which will bring significant benefits to the Eastern Province.
The Eastern Province occupies a pre-eminent position in connectivity initiatives between India and Sri Lanka and the High Commissioner underlined that India stands ready to work arduously with the concerned authorities in Sri Lanka on this front, the statement said.
Jha reviewed the progress in the construction of the Surgical Unit in Teaching Hospital Batticaloa, being built through grant assistance from India. This facility is expected to be completed soon. He also visited the Model Village Housing Projects in Batticaloa and Trincomalee, which are part of a comprehensive project, under which a total of 600 houses are being built across the 25 districts of Sri Lanka by India for vulnerable and homeless families.
Separately, he met and encouraged concerned stakeholders to actively work towards the expeditious completion of the 5,000 MT temperature-controlled warehouse in Dambulla. The first-of-its-kind facility in the country will help the farmers in the region to reduce their post-harvest losses considerably. During the site visit to the proposed solar facility in Sampur, he expressed confidence that work would commence at the earliest.
The High Commissioner visited several facilities of Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) in Trincomalee. He recalled the unparalleled role the company played in limiting the adverse effects of the energy crisis in 2022 during these engagements. (PTI)
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