23/06/2016

SirisenaopensstadiuminJaffnarenovatedbyIndiaINTERNATIONALTheHindu

TODAY'SPAPERINTERNATIONAL

Published:June19,201600:00IST|Updated:June19,201605:47ISTCOLOMBO,June19,2016

SirisenaopensstadiuminJaffnarenovatedbyIndia

T.Ramakrishnan

SriLankanPresidentMaithripalaSirisenadeclaringopentheDuraiappahStadiuminJaffna.PHOTO:SPECIALARRANGEMENT
TherenovatedDuraiappahstadiuminJaffna,inauguratedbySriLankanPresidentMaithripalaSirisenaonSaturdaywithPrimeMinister
NarendraModiwatchingtheeventfromNewDelhithroughvideoteleconferencing,formspartoftheseveralprojectsfundedbytheIndian
governmentintheNorthernProvinceinrecentyears.
NamedafterJaffnasexMayorAlfredThambirajahDuraiappah,thestadium,whichwasabandonedduringthecivilwarandwasindisuse
since1997,wasrenovatedatacostofSriLankanRs.146millionin18months.
Otherprojects
Apartfromtheconstructionof45,100housesforthecivilwaraffectedfamilies,thelasttwoyearshavealsoseenthecompletionofthe
NorthernRailwayProjectatacostof$800million,leadingtotheresumptionoftrainservicesbetweenColomboandJaffnaafter25years.
Besides,trainservicesarenowbeingoperateduptoKankesanthuraiandTalaimannarpier.A200bedhospitalcomplexinVavuniya,costing
Rs.187million,andtheproposedFacultiesofEngineeringandAgricultureinKilinochchi,eachatacostofRs300million,areamongthe
otherprojects.IndiahasplanstoupgradethePalalyairportsothatpassengerservicescanberunagain.Wearehopingtostartworkina
coupleofmonthsontheCulturalCentre[inJaffna]atanoutlayofRs.1.7billion,saysA.Natarajan,IndiasConsulGeneralinJaffna.
AccordingtoY.K.Sinha,IndiasHighCommissioner,IndiastotaldevelopmentassistancecommitmenttoSriLankaisnowaround$2.6
billion,coveringareassuchashousing,demining,publichealthandconnectivity.
Addressingthegatheringthroughvideoconferencing,PrimeMinisterModidescribedtheDuraiappahstadiumasasymbolofoptimismand
economicdevelopment.
PointingoutthatIndiassupportwouldbebasedonprioritiesandneedsofSriLanka,Mr.Modisaid:IndiawillwalksidebysidewithSri
Lankaasitchartsitsownpathtoprogressandprosperityforallofitscitizens.
Mr.SirisenasaidthatdespitecriticsspreadingfalsenotionsabouttheIndiaSriLankarelationship,thetwocountrieshadbeenfunctioning
withverygoodunderstanding.
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renovatedbyindia/article8747081.ece
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