Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha on Friday, 5 June inaugurated and handed over 24 new houses at Pathinigama Model Village in Kurunegala District, built entirely with India's grant assistance. The handover marks another milestone in New Delhi's grassroots development push across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka.

Model Villages Across All 25 Districts

The Pathinigama handover is part of a broader India-funded initiative to develop model villages in every district of Sri Lanka. According to High Commissioner Jha, the programme is designed to improve living standards and foster inclusive socio-economic development at the grassroots level. The project reflects a deliberate shift in India's neighbourhood diplomacy — away from large infrastructure loans and toward community-level, people-centric grants.

High Commissioner Jha inaugurated the houses alongside Dr. Sushil Ranasinghe, Sri Lanka's Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, signalling bilateral ownership of the initiative.

Bharat Corner Inaugurated on Delft Island

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, Jha visited Delft Mahavidyalayam on Delft Island in the Northern Province, accompanied by the Governor of the Northern Province, for the inauguration of a 'Bharat Corner' — a dedicated resource space within the school. Essential assistance was also distributed to the school's students during the visit.

The High Commissioner acknowledged the resilience of the Delft Island community, which contends with significant logistical and infrastructural challenges in daily life. He described India's contribution as a 'modest' but meaningful effort to support the community's aspirations for a better future.

Tree Plantation at Historic Temple

Separately, High Commissioner Jha planted a tree at the Keerimalai Naguleshwaram Temple as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (Plant4Mother) campaign, an environmental initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gesture carried symbolic weight, linking an Indian cultural campaign to a historically significant Hindu shrine on Sri Lankan soil.

India-Sri Lanka Partnership: The Bigger Picture

This comes amid a period of renewed warmth in India-Sri Lanka ties, with New Delhi playing a key role in Colombo's post-economic-crisis recovery. India has been among the first responders in providing credit lines, fuel assistance, and now sustained development grants. Notably, the model village programme targets districts beyond the traditional Tamil-majority north and east, extending India's development footprint into Sinhalese-majority areas such as Kurunegala — a significant political signal. The programme's reach across all 25 districts positions it as one of the most geographically comprehensive bilateral aid initiatives India has undertaken in the region.

Further handovers under the model village scheme are expected across remaining districts in the coming months, as India deepens its people-to-people engagement with Sri Lanka.