Press release High Commissioner's visit to Kandy underscores the expanse of India - Sri Lanka relations
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High Commissioner's visit to Kandy underscores the expanse of India - Sri Lanka relations

High Commission of India
Colombo

PRESS RELEASE

High Commissioner's visit to Kandy underscores the expanse of India -Sri Lanka relations


  High Commissioner of India, H.E Santosh Jha visited Kandy on 18 January 2024.

 2. High Commissioner sought blessings of the MahanayakaTheros of Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri GnanarathanaMahanayakaThero and Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala MahanayakaThero respectively. High Commissioner Jha underlined that Buddhism was central to age-old connect between the people of India and Sri Lanka and briefed the MahanayakaTheros of various initiatives undertaken by Government of India (GoI) to strengthen bilateral Buddhist ties. He specifically mentioned that measures are being carried out expeditiously to roll out solar electrification of Temples across the country throughGoI assistance.

 3. He offered prayers at the sacred DaladaMaligawafor prosperity and well being of the people of the two countries as also stronger and deeper connect between them.

 4. He also prayed for closer bilateral relations through further diversification in both scale and scope at Kataragama Dewalaya.

 5. He visited Hanthana Estate and took stock of the Indian Housing Project. While GoI has already built 50 houses in the Estate under the third phase, more housing units are being constructed in the next phase of the Project. Overall, GoI has commited to 14000 new houses for plantation workers in the two phases of the project. 

 6. High Commissioner inaugurated an Ayurveda camp, aimed at the physical well being of the plantation workers. He also distributed study materials and umbrellas to school going children in the Estate. He remarked that these are keeping in line with GoI'sfirm commitment to the overall upliftment of the plantation workers and the Indian origin Tamil community in particular.

 7. It may be recalled that a multi-sectoral grant package to tune of SLR 3 billion was announced by GoI during the visit of President H.E Ranil Wickremesinghe to India in July 2023.

 

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Colombo
18 January 2024