The High Commissioner of India, Ashok K. Kantha, in a ceremony held at Galle Face Green yesterday (Nov 1) handed over 52 four-wheel tractors to Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaska.

This is the first lot of a total of 500 tractors, which the Government of India is supplying to Sri Lanka under grant assistance. All the tractors come with a complete set of farm implements, namely, 9 Tine Tiller, Rotovator, two furrow Disc Plough and cage wheel. The total cost of the project is 600 million SLR.

Speaking during the ceremony, the High Commissioner said that since the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009, the Government of India has intensified its development assistance.

With the passage of time, the emphasis has shifted to rehabilitation and a number of projects have been developed for implementation. Agriculture is a focus area of the Government of India’s assistance programme. He said that India plans to assist in setting up an Agriculture Research Training Centre and Agriculture Faculty in the Northern Province. Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaska recalling the developmental assistance provided by Government of India for the Northern Province, thanked High Commissioner and Government of India for the assistance.

India has already supplied 70,000 individual packets of agricultural implements to IDPs through a grant in 2009-10. The total grant amounts to approx 155 million SLR. There is a proposal to supply additional 25,000 individual packs of the agricultural implements under Government of India grant assistance.

India under a grant is also supplying seeds to Sri Lanka of other field crops which includes green gram and black gram. The quantity of green gram is 5500 kgs and that of black gram is 43000 kgs. The total cost is approximately 11.2 million SLR.

The ceremony yesterday was attended by Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiyudeen Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development, Dogulas Devananda and Governor of Northern Province, Major General (Retd.) G. A. Chandrasiri.