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Saddened by Lankan “underappreciation” of Indian aid: High Commissioner Sinha
View(s):Indian High Commissioner Y.K.Sinha said this week that his country was saddened by the fact that Sri Lanka has “underappreciated” the Indian Government’s economic assistance to this country.
High Commissioner Sinha, who was the chief guest at a symposium to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala at the Colombo University on Wednesday said he visited an event that displayed a number of pamphlets describing the aid and assistance given by other countries.
Y.K, Sinha addressing the gathering. In the background is the picture depicting the 1893 Parliament of World Religions attended by Anagarika Dharmapala
He said that he immediately instructed Indian High Commission officials to bring in handouts and brochures that showed Indian assistance to Sri Lanka.
“Some even failed to mention India’s assistance in the Northern Line railway project at the recent start of the Yal Devi train service to Jaffna, that connects the North and the rest of the country,” he said.
Mr. Sinha said that since the end of the war, India has handed over US $ 1.6 billion to Sri Lanka, 30 percent of it being grants, free and unattached.
He said even after the war, India continued its assistance ranging from re-building hospitals to medical services of Indian doctors provided free of charge and aid assistance provided to those in camps.
We are in the process of building 50,000 houses in the North and East. At present we have completed 15,000 houses, and the others are expected to be completed by the end of this year, he said.
“India was focussed on the needs of the people of Sri Lanka, and was not dictating the needs of the Indian government or its people,” Mr. Sinha said.
The High Commissioner said there is a need for Sri Lankan people to know that India has been continuously providing aid and assistance.
He said that it is planned to commence a ferry service, once train services to Talaimannar are resumed.
“A pilgrim travelling from Kataragama to Bodhgaya and the Mahabodhi in India can do so by taking a train to Talaimannar and then boarding the low-cost ferry to Rameswaram. Another train would then take the pilgrim to his destination,” he said.
Yal Devi on the tracks again: The Indian High Commissioner pointed out that, “Some even failed to mention India’s assistance in the Northern Line railway project.”