NAAM 200: India gives another 10,000 houses to Indian-origin Tamils

COLOMBO (News 1st); India has decided to provide another 10,000 houses to Sri Lanka's estate community, announced Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (2).

She was speaking at the event to mark ‘Naam 200’ (We are 200), an event held under the theme, ‘In the tapestry of Sri Lanka’s cultural diversity, the Indian Tamil community has woven a unique thread over two centuries.

The project was launched at the Mount Vernon estate in Kotagala, and the audience was given the opportunity to witness the groundbreaking moment via Zoom.

These houses are in addition to the ongoing project of building houses of which over 3,000 have already been completed.

The Indian Finance Minister also said that her government will work closely with the Sri Lankan government in realizing the vision provided by the leadership of the two nations, thereby further deepening civilizational ties with connectivity, as a new focus area. 

"While some of the connectivity projects have already made progress, notably, the recent commencement of passenger ferry services, negotiations on economic and technological cooperation, which is an agreement, and UPI based digital payments, which will be launched very soon. We are working closely with the government on other identified areas as well," she elaborated.

Enhancing connectivity between India and Sri Lanka will build bridges of experience and opportunities for the people of both countries, said Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.