The project to set up nine language laboratories in the nine Provinces of Sri Lanka was officially launched at Gampaha by Hon’ble Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development and H.E. Y.K. Sinha the High Commissioner of India at a function held at Kimbulgoda Maha Vidyalaya in Gampaha on 2 December 2013. Hon’ble Prasanna Ranatunga, Chief Minister of Western Province, Hon’ble Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Dy. Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing & Common Amenities, Mr. S.T.Kodikara, Secretary, Education Department and several other senior government officials participated in the event.

The project is being implemented as part of an MoU signed between India and Sri Lanka on 13th September 2011 for “Setting up of a Three-Tier English Language Training System in Sri Lanka”. Accordingly, the Government of India is providing equipment, software and latest sophisticated teaching aids for setting up a language laboratory of 30 computer units and other equipment in each of the nine provinces that would help to train teachers from various schools and colleges in Sri Lanka. Besides Gampaha, language laboratories are to be set up at Jaffna, Polanaruwa, Ampara, Kandy, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Badulla and Matara in the various Colleges of Education in different provinces.

Following the conclusion of the tendering process, M/s Metropolitan Office (Pvt) Ltd., Colombo, has supplied the equipment for the language labs envisaged in the project at a cost of SLR 84 million. The project is implemented under full grant assistance of the Government of India.

The objective of the project is to help enhance the English Language training infrastructure in Sri Lanka, raise the general level of proficiency in English language of various sections of society, impart training in the use of English language and familiarize English language teachers from schools, colleges and universities in Sri Lanka on recent trends in English language teaching and to upgrade their skills.

In his address, Hon’ble Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development noted that the Government of India has been continuously providing assistance for a variety of Projects covering different sectors to help the people of Sri Lanka. Though the demand for projects were more for the Northern and Eastern Provinces, he said that Government of India has been assisting other areas as well and hoped that areas like Gampaha may get new projects under the Government of India’s assistance programme. India being a pioneer in Information Technology, the Minister noted that the Language labs set up by Government of India in Sri Lanka would benefit the younger generation to learn English and benefit from it as a lifeskill.

The High Commissioner, in his remarks, emphasized that India and Sri Lanka share a dynamic and multi-faceted relationship, rooted in history, language, culture, religion and trade and that the relations between the two countries have matured and diversified with the passage of time, encompassing all areas of contemporary relevance. As part of Development Cooperation with Sri Lanka, Government of India has attached high priority to the education sector. To support students from Sri Lanka to pursue higher education in Sri Lanka and in India, Government of India is offering 720 scholarships every year which has been benefitting students across the Island. Other projects implemented to assist the education sector include setting up of 40 “Nenasalas” (e-Learning Centres) in Eastern, Western and Southern provinces during 2007-10, renovation of 79 war damaged schools in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, supply of 1,260 computers and 218 laser printers to about 500 schools of the Eastern Province, setting up of a Siddha Faculty at Trincomalee and gifting of 110 buses to education institutions to assist school going children etc. At present India is implementing a project to set up 70 creches for the Estate sector and a full-fledged Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Engineering at Kilinochchi.

The High Commissioner congratulated the Education Department of Western Province for facilitating the completion of the language lab and hoped that this project would be of great assistance to promote learning of English language directly by teachers and indirectly by students of Sri Lanka which would help in their advancement.

Government of India has been implementing a variety of multi-sectoral projects in Sri Lanka based on the needs and priorities identified by both countries. India's portfolio of development projects now encompasses virtually all major sectors of the economy, including housing, infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, fisheries, industry, handicrafts and culture. The scope and scale of these projects has increased exponentially since the end of the armed conflict in 2009. The Government of India has implemented grant-assisted projects alone worth SLR 22 billion during the past four years, in addition to other projects funded by lines of credit. In the Southern Province, the project to restore the Southern Railway line (118 km) from Kalutara to Matara, which was damaged by the tsunami, was completed ahead of schedule using an Indian line of credit. The Northern Railway line (252km) connecting Medawachchiya with Talaimannar and Kankesathurai is expected to be completed by June 2013.

The Indian Housing Project involving construction of 50,000 houses through grant assistance is the flagship Project being implemented in Sri Lanka at an estimated cost of US$ 272 million. The second phase of the Project, involving construction of 43,000 houses under the owner-driven model, is progressing well. 7,000 houses have been completed till date and another 9,500 houses are in different stages of construction. Till date, SLR 8 billion has been released as grant assistance to the beneficiaries selected under this project.