High Commission of India

Colombo

PRESS RELEASE

Capacity Building Progamme for 2nd Batch of Local Government Representatives

    A second group of 30 Local Government Representatives from the Indian Origin Tamils (IOT) and Sri Lankan Tamils successfully completed a 10-day capacity-building programme at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in Hyderabad. The programme spanned two states i.e Telangana and Tamil Nadu from 9-18 March. Among the group, 20 representatives were from Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) and 10 were from Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK). The first batch of 20 local government representatives had previously undergone training from 19 to 29 January 2026 at the same institute. 

2. The training programme, through a combination of interactive sessions and field visits, showcased the best practices on local governance through localization of sustainable development goals attaining 09 most prominent themes which are: poverty-free and enhanced livelihood Panchayats; healthy villages; child-friendly Panchayats; water-sufficient villages; clean and green villages; self-sufficient infrastructure; socially secure villages; villages with good governance; and women-friendly Gram Panchayats. Apart from this participants were given exposure to primary healthcare and education, budgeting, eco-tourism, among other areas.
3. Participants undertook site visits to various local institutions, including primary healthcare facilities, Anganwadi centres, cooperative banks, women-led dairy farms, fruit and horticulture research stations, and tea plantations in the Nilgiris. The aim of the customised programme for Sri Lankan local representatives was to promote knowledge exchange, and deepen institutional linkages in the field of local governance between India and Sri Lanka.
4. The programme was organised under the enhanced capacity-building framework announced by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his State Visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, offering 700 customised slots annually for Sri Lankan professionals. 

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Colombo

19 March 2026