The renovated Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna, inaugurated by Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi watching the event from New Delhi through video teleconferencing, forms part of many projects funded by the Indian government in the Northern Province in recent years.
Named after Jaffna's Mayor of the 1970s Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah, the stadium, which was abandoned during the civil war and in disuse since 1997, was renovated at a cost of Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) 146 million in 18 months.
Other projects
Apart from the construction of 45,100 houses for the civil-war affected families under the flagship housing project, the last two years saw the completion of the Northern Railway Project at a cost of $800 million, leading to the resumption of train services between Colombo and Jaffna after 25 years. Besides, train services are now being operated up to Kankesanthurai and Talai Mannar pier.
A 200-bedded hospital complex in Vavuniya, costing LKR 187 milllion, and the commencement of work for the Faculties of Engineering and Agriculture, each at a cost of LKR 300 million, are among the other projects.
India has plans to upgrade the Palaly airport so that passenger services can be run again. “We are hoping to start work, in a couple of months, on the Cultural Centre at an outlay of LKR 1.7 billion,” says A. Natarajan, India’s Consul General in Jaffna.
According to Y.K. Sinha, India’s High Commissioner, India’s total development assistance commitment to Sri Lanka is now around $2.6 billion, covering areas such as housing, de-mining, public health and connectivity.
Addressing, through video teleconferencing, the gathering that included Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and the Central Minister for Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara, the Prime Minister described the Duraiappah stadium as a “symbol of optimism and economic development.”
Pointing out that his country’s support would be based on priorities and needs of Sri Lanka, Mr. Modi said, “India will walk side by side with Sri Lanka as it charts its own path to progress and prosperity for all of its citizens.”
Mr. Sirisena said that despite critics spreading false notions about the India-Sri Lanka relationship, the two countries had been functioning with “very good understanding.” The stadium project had strengthened the bilateral ties, which were very significant at the international and regional levels too.
