Colombo: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan Monday met with Indian-origin Tamil beneficiaries of the houses built with assistance from India during his visit to the central tea plantation district of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka.
Radhakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, met the Indian-origin Tamil community and said that the government and people of India have a deep commitment to the welfare of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
The vice president visited the Liddlesdale Estate, Ragala, in Nuwara Eliya, also called the tea capital of Sri Lanka, in the Central Province.
He noted that the Government of India has so far provided 50,000 houses for the Tamil families in Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, as well as to Indian origin Tamil families in plantation regions, a social media post by the vice president said.
He added that an additional 10,000 houses will be delivered under the fourth phase of the Indian Housing Project.
While interacting with Indian-origin Tamils in Nuwara Eliya, Radhakrishnan also expressed his deep sorrow over the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwa and discussed India’s prompt relief and rescue operations launched under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’.
Radhakrishnan’s visit is the first ever by an Indian vice president to Sri Lanka.
Later, the vice president will visit the Sita Amman Temple in Sitha Eliya, and from there he will return to Colombo.
Sunday, during talks with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the education minister, Radhakrishnan discussed cooperation in the field of education.
An announcement regarding the enhancement of the Ceylon Estate Workers Education Trust scholarship scheme was also made.
The number of scholarships under this scheme is being doubled from 350 to 700, and the monthly stipend is being increased from LKR 2,500 for A-level students to LKR 7,500 for those pursuing higher education.
During talks with leaders of the Sri Lankan Tamil and the Indian-origin Tamil parties Sunday, he announced that the Overseas Citizen Card will now be extended to the fifth and sixth generations of the diaspora.
This is expected to benefit, in particular, the Indian-origin Tamil community. Up to now, the privilege had only been limited to the fourth-generation diaspora.
The vice president also announced the completion and handing over of the final tranche of houses under Phase 3 of the Indian Housing Project.
This Phase 3 includes 4,000 houses for estate workers in the plantation regions of the Central Province, Uva and the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
As many as 3,855 units under Phase 3 had already been handed over, and during this visit, the remaining 145 units were completed and handed over, marking a significant milestone in the progress of the Indian Housing Project.
The project, which was announced almost 15 years ago, has an overall commitment of nearly 1,835 crore Indian rupees.
It is a flagship grant assistance project in Sri Lanka and is considered the largest such Indian grant assistance project outside of India.
At least 50,000 houses have already been completed under this project, and work on a fourth phase comprising 10,000 houses is now underway.
Radhakrishnan and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Sunday discussed the proposed link between India and the island nation through an oil pipeline.
Radhakrishnan and Dissanayake also had productive discussions on further deepening the multifaceted bilateral ties, housing projects and fishermen issues between the two South Asian neighbours.