High Commission of India
Colombo

 PRESS RELEASE

Foundation stone laid for new housing units under Indian Housing Project in Badulla district

    On 29 September 2026, the foundation stone was laid for the construction of 51 new housing units at Alagolla Estate in Badulla district by Assistant High Commissioner in Kandy, Ms. Saranya V. S., alongside Sri Lanka’s Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Hon. K.V. Samantha Vidyaratna and Deputy Minister Hon. Pradeep Sundaralingam. 

2. These housing units are being constructed under Stage 2 of Indian Housing Project (IHP) Phase IV, which was earlier launched in October 2025 by Sri Lankan President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Phase IV envisages the construction of 10,000 houses for the plantation community across six provinces of Sri Lanka. 

3. IHP is a flagship development initiative by Government of India in Sri Lanka for construction of around 60,000 houses through grant assistance of over INR 18 billion. Under the first two phases, 46,000 houses were built or renovated in the Northern and Eastern provinces, followed by 4,000 houses in plantation regions during third phase.

4. The Indian origin Tamil community and plantation regions remain important under India's development cooperation partnership with Sri Lanka. Beyond housing, landmark initiatives include the construction of a multi-specialty hospital in Dickoya, establishment of smart classrooms, upgradation of nine plantation schools and the announcement of Indian support to development of Seetha Eliya Temple. Further, a multi-sectoral package of INR 750 million was announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in July 2023, to mark 200 years of arrival of Indian origin Tamil community to Sri Lanka.

5. The event was also attended by senior officials from Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, representatives from Plantation Human Development Trust, and local beneficiaries from the Alagolla estate.

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Colombo
29 September 2026