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Krishna’s 4-day Sri Lanka visit will start on Jan 16
A swift take-off of the massive housing project that New Delhi is funding for Sri Lankan Tamils will top External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s agenda during his scheduled four-day visit to the island nation from January 16. Despite India being swift in post-war reconstruction of war ravaged Sri Lanka, the project has had been in a limbo due to delays in procedural clearances from both sides.
Sources told The Pioneer that Krishna is likely to sign an MoU on housing which would include a go ahead for 49,000 housing units for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a cost of Rs 1319 crore, approved by the Cabinet recently. The project will benefit an identical number of war ravaged internally displaced persons and Indian Origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Krishna will also hand over 1,000 houses, constructed as a pilot project, to displaced Lankan Tamils These houses have been constructed for the vulnerable sections of the IDPs like physically handicapped, single women households, widows.
The Cabinet had in December last year approved the reconstruction and repair of 49,000 houses for IDPs in Northern and Eastern Provinces in Sri Lanka under grant assistance from the Government.
With the shift from relief and rehabilitation to reconstruction and development, India turned its attention to the housing requirements of the IDPs. During the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India from 8-11 June 2010, an announcement was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that India would support a programme to reconstruct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka. The commitment for 49000 houses forms a part of the overall commitment announced by the Singh.
Krishna will also review the entire gamut of political and bilateral relations. He will hold bilateral talks with Sri Lankan leadership including a call on President Rajapaksa, and his counterpart GL Peiris, Leader of opposition in Sri Lankan Parliament, representatives of the Tamil National Alliance and other Sri Lankan parties, sources said. He will also meet people from the civil society.
Krishna is scheduled to visit Kilinochchi and Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka in connection with Government of India assisted projects they said.
Krishna would also be visiting Galle in southern Sri Lanka where he is expected to inaugurate a segment of the Southern Railway Project implemented under a line of credit by India, sources said.
Alongside this cooperation in telecom and agriculture sector would also form a part of his discussions, sources said.
A swift take-off of the massive housing project that New Delhi is funding for Sri Lankan Tamils will top External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s agenda during his scheduled four-day visit to the island nation from January 16. Despite India being swift in post-war reconstruction of war ravaged Sri Lanka, the project has had been in a limbo due to delays in procedural clearances from both sides.
Sources told The Pioneer that Krishna is likely to sign an MoU on housing which would include a go ahead for 49,000 housing units for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a cost of Rs 1319 crore, approved by the Cabinet recently. The project will benefit an identical number of war ravaged internally displaced persons and Indian Origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Krishna will also hand over 1,000 houses, constructed as a pilot project, to displaced Lankan Tamils These houses have been constructed for the vulnerable sections of the IDPs like physically handicapped, single women households, widows.
The Cabinet had in December last year approved the reconstruction and repair of 49,000 houses for IDPs in Northern and Eastern Provinces in Sri Lanka under grant assistance from the Government.
With the shift from relief and rehabilitation to reconstruction and development, India turned its attention to the housing requirements of the IDPs. During the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India from 8-11 June 2010, an announcement was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that India would support a programme to reconstruct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka. The commitment for 49000 houses forms a part of the overall commitment announced by the Singh.
Krishna will also review the entire gamut of political and bilateral relations. He will hold bilateral talks with Sri Lankan leadership including a call on President Rajapaksa, and his counterpart GL Peiris, Leader of opposition in Sri Lankan Parliament, representatives of the Tamil National Alliance and other Sri Lankan parties, sources said. He will also meet people from the civil society.
Krishna is scheduled to visit Kilinochchi and Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka in connection with Government of India assisted projects they said.
Krishna would also be visiting Galle in southern Sri Lanka where he is expected to inaugurate a segment of the Southern Railway Project implemented under a line of credit by India, sources said.
Alongside this cooperation in telecom and agriculture sector would also form a part of his discussions, sources said.
