Colombo, August 6: India has handed over additional Bailey bridges weighing 250 metric tons to Sri Lanka, aimed at enhancing infrastructure development. The delivery was made by India’s Deputy High Commissioner, Maitreya Kulkarni, to Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development, Upali Samarasinha, on Thursday.
The Indian Army engineers will install these bridges across various locations in Sri Lanka, improving mobility and supporting the country’s infrastructure growth.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka announced on the social media platform ‘X’, stating, “The next batch of Bailey bridges, each weighing over 250 metric tons, was handed over today by Deputy High Commissioner Maitreya Kulkarni to Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinha.”
These bridges are part of India’s $450 million reconstruction package, which aims to restore connectivity and boost infrastructure development in Sri Lanka.
During his official visit to Sri Lanka, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated India’s strong commitment to Sri Lanka under the ‘Neighborhood First’ policy and the ‘Vision Ocean’ initiative.
Misri met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and Foreign Minister Wijitha Herath. He also held discussions with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary, Aruni Ranatunga, and met with opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, as well as leaders from the Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian-origin Tamil (IOT) communities.
These meetings reviewed various ongoing collaborative programs and projects between India and Sri Lanka.
Last week, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, stated that India’s assistance for development projects in Sri Lanka has exceeded $7.5 billion, covering all 25 districts of the country. He made this remark while chairing a review meeting on India-supported development projects with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Anil Jayath Fernando.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo shared on ‘X’, “With over $7.5 billion in assistance, including more than $850 million in grants, India’s public welfare projects have reached all 25 districts of Sri Lanka. These initiatives have significantly transformed sectors such as housing, health, education, railways, energy, and livelihoods.”
In December, India announced a $450 million package for reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka following Cyclone ‘Ditwah’. This package includes initiatives for repairing and reconstructing roads, railways, and bridges, rebuilding damaged homes, and providing support in health and education, as well as enhancing agricultural development and disaster management preparedness.
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