High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha and Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Services Hon. Anura Karunathilaka jointly inaugurated and handed over Ven. Dhammavansa Nahimigama Model Village in Rathnapura to the 24 beneficiary families on 11 October 2025. Hon. Anura Karunathilaka held charge as the Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing during implementation of the project in Rathnapura. Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep and Member of Parliament Hon. Sunil Rajapaksha also participated in the ceremony.
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 Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council and Rathnapura District Administration.
Speaking at the event, High Commissioner H.E. Santosh Jha emphasised India’s unwavering commitment to support Sri Lanka’s development, particularly in improving livelihoods and supporting development of communities. Minister Hon. Anura Karunathilaka conveyed gratitude on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka for the people-centric development cooperation initiatives of India in the country, particularly in the housing sector.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka was signed for the Model Village 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. The Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply of Sri Lanka is implementing the project with grant support from the Government of India.
Model Villages in 15 other districts have been handed over earlier. The overall project progress is over 97% and the remaining model villages too are expected to be inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiaries soon.
