High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha visited the Southern Province, and had diverse engagements earlier this week.

High Commissioner Jha visited Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts, marking the first time in the recent past where an Indian High commissioner undertook a standalone visit to the Southern Province, the Indian mission in Colombo said.

During his visit High Commissioner Jha met Governor of the Province Dr. Willie Gamage and discussed several projects undertaken by the Government of India (GOI) in the region. The High Commissioner has also expressed willingness to carry out more projects for the benefit of the people in the Province through grant assistance as well as investments.

Jha also paid floral tributes at the bust of Rabindranath Tagore, installed in the auditorium named after Gurudev Tagore in University of Ruhuna, which was built through GOI grant assistance, and inaugurated in 2018. The High Commissioner visited two villages in Hambantota district which are part of two housing projects aimed at providing low-income communities with 1200 homes with funding from India.  

The High Commissioner sought religious blessings at the Dondra, Kataragama and Tissamaharama temples and prayed for further strengthening of ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka, The Indian High Commission in Colombo stated.