Colombo, May 28 (newsin.asia): India is to help build the Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero Village (Elapathagama) in Anuradhapura District with a grant of LKR 300 million or US$ 1.9 million.

The project envisages construction of 153 new houses, a multipurpose community building and alms hall, internal water supply system and renovation of Monk’s Quarters & a library.

The project is part of India’s development cooperation with Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Housing and Construction is the Implementing Partner from Sri Lanka.

The foundation stone laying ceremony was performed on Sunday by the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, the Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa and the Acting High Commissioner of India Arindam Bagchi

In addition to the above project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Construction, two other projects to construct model villages in each district and model villages in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka comprising of a total of 1200 houses are also under progress ,a press release from the Indian High Commission said.

Others present on the occasion of the foundation laying ceremony on Sunday were: the Minister of Land and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilake, Minister of Primary Industries Daya Gamage and the Minister of Social Empowerment P Harrison.

The ceremony got the blessings of the Mahasangha,

Several Hon. Members of Parliament, senior Officials from Government of Sri Lanka, Board members of Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero Commemoration Foundation and a large number of public participated in the event.

(Sri Lankan parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and the Deputy High Commissioner of Indian Arindam Bagchi at the foundation laying ceremony)