High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha and Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasingha jointly inaugurated and handed over Pathinigama Model Village in Kurunegala to the 24 beneficiary families on 04 June 206. This event was attended by a distinguished delegation, including Hon. Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasooriya, Governor of the North Western Province; Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana, Deputy Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs and Hon. Sujeewa Indika Dissanayaka, District Parliamentarian.
The event was also attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply of Sri Lanka; Chairman and senior officials from National Housing Development Authority; officials from Kurunegala District Administration.
In his keynote remarks, High Commissioner H.E. Santosh Jha underscored India’s enduring commitment to Sri Lanka’s national development. He emphasized that India remains a steadfast partner in enhancing local livelihoods and supporting the holistic growth of communities throughout the island.
The Model Village Housing Project is being implemented in all 25 districts of the island jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply of Sri Lanka with grant support from the Government of India. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka was signed for the project in October 2017. The project encompasses housing facilities for 600 low-income families of Sri Lanka, with a model village each consisting of 24 houses per district for families selected by the District Housing Committees.
To date, model villages have been inaugurated and handed over in 17 districts: Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Kandy, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Matale, Puttalam, Colombo, Trincomalee, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Ratnapura and Ampara. With the overall project reaching a completion rate of approximately 98.5%, the remaining villages are expected to be handed over to their respective communities soon.
