India has reacted strongly to Sri Lanka Government claims that New Delhi would build only 5,000 houses and repair 45,000 others on a “fully funded grant” extended by it.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said the “bulk” of India’s project would be for “construction of new dwelling units. It will also cater to the needs of “a smaller number” who may wish to have their damaged houses repaired, it said.
Noting that “questions have been raised recently about the extent and scope of the project,” the High Commission said in a statement that the construction of 50,000 houses was a commitment made by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh to President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he visited New Delhi early this year. It was for use by those internally displaced during the final stages of the separatist war in 2009.
The Indian High Commission’s assertions came in the wake of an official statement issued by the Economic Development Ministry’s Communications Director General Prof. Sunanda Madduma Bandara. He claimed that the Indian project “consists of 5,000 new houses and repair of 45,000 houses.”
Prof. Bandara’s statement was one of two issued on behalf of the Government to deny last week’s Sunday Times front-page lead story headlined “Basil stops donor funded new buildings in the North and East.” The other came from Prof. Ariyaratne Athugala, Director General of Information whose Department runs the news.lk website. The Sunday Times report was wholly accurate.
Last week’s the Sunday Times report revealed exclusively that the construction of all new buildings in the North and East under donor-funded projects coming under the Ministry of Economic Development had been stopped from December 9. The ambiguity in the circular where no reference is made to construction of houses as well as the factually erroneous references to 45,000 houses being repaired had caused Indian concerns, the Sunday Times learns.
The Indian High Commission’s statement came ahead of tomorrow’s arrival in Colombo of Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar. He is to hold talks with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on bi-lateral issues related to defence co-operation between the two countries in the post-war era.
The Indian High Commission said that the bulk of India’s project would focus on the needs in the Northern Province. It will also cover some areas of the Eastern and Central Provinces, the statement said.
India to gift military equipment
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| Pradeep Kumar |
As a goodwill gesture, India is expected to gift some military equipment such as shoulder-fired missiles and radars to Sri Lanka when defence secretary Pradeep Kumar undertakes a two-day visit here from tomorrow, PTI reported.
The equipment, part of the assistance provided to Sri Lanka to fight Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is planned to be gifted apparently to demonstrate India's efforts to help build the defence capabilities of Sri Lanka in the backdrop of Chinese attempts to make inroads there.
India had provided defence hardware including two ground-based radars and a large number of Russian shoulder-fired IGLA ground-to-air missiles to Sri Lanka on a temporary basis, PTI added.
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