The Indian government has announced the funding of two major development projects in Jaffna, worth a total of Rs. 365 million.
A grant of Rs. 145 million has been allocated towards renovation of the Duraiappah Stadium, with another Rs. 220 million granted to set up the Atchchuvely Industrial Estate.
Indian High Commissioner Y. K. Sinha said the Industrial Estate “is expected to attract potential investors, from within and outside Sri Lanka” with access to the area increased once the Northern Railway Project, also financed by India, is completed. The rail project is scheduled to be completed in September 2015.
Inaugurating the Atchchuvely Industrial Estate project, Sinha was joined by EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, Governor of the Northern Province Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka's Economic Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Chief Minister of the Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran.
See more from the Indian High Commission here and here.
Earlier this year India also announced that it would assist the setting up of two new buildings for University of Jaffna faculties in Kilinochchi.
However, the construction of 50,000 houses for war-affected Tamils in the North-East, which India has called the “flagship project of Indian grant assistance to Sri Lanka”, has faced persistent delays, with only 14,500 built so far.
See more in our earlier posts:
India to reconstruct Colombo-Jaffna railway amidst North-East housing scheme progress concerns (16 August 2014)
India to assist construction of Jaffna University faculties (15 July 2014)
India to develop Jaffna's KKS harbour (09 May 2011)
India and Jaffna (21 January 2011)
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