- Pledges support for Economic and Social Rights of the Upcountry Tamil community – The President.
COLOMBO : President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the government’s commitment to safeguarding the economic and social rights of the upcountry Tamil community during a ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat. He acknowledged their significant contribution to the nation’s economy and expressed intentions to unite political representatives from the upcountry, transcending party lines, to present collaborative proposals within the upcoming month.
The occasion marked the virtual launch of the 4th stage of the Indian Housing project, ‘Bharat-Lanka,’ aimed at constructing 10,000 houses for plantation sector workers. President Wickremesinghe, along with Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman and Indian High Commissioner H.E. Santhosh Jha, virtually unveiled the foundation stone plaque for 1300 houses across 45 plantation estates in ten districts.
President Wickremesinghe expressed gratitude to the Government of India for their support, particularly on the 200th anniversary of the upcountry Tamil community’s arrival in Sri Lanka. He highlighted efforts to negotiate land acquisition from estate companies for housing construction and emphasized the government’s commitment to advancing education standards within the upcountry.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including State Minister of Irrigation and Water Supply Shasheendra Rajapaksa and Governor of Central Province Lalith U Gamage, highlighting the significance of the housing project and bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.
