Hon'ble G. L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs,
Hon'ble Kumar Welgama, Minister of Transport,
Hon'ble Rohan Dissanayake, Deputy Minister of Transport,
High Commissioner of India Mr. Ashok Kantha,
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Mr. Prasad Kariyawasam,
Distinguished Guests,

I am delighted to be in this wonderful and historic city of Galle, to formally hand over the completed section of the Galle-Hikkaduwa railway track. Today's ceremony marks the timely completion of this section, which is part of the Southern railway line executed by IRCON International Ltd, a leading Indian company in railway infrastructure.

As part of our effort to assist the Government of Sri Lanka in the reconstruction of the Southern Railway coastal project, the Government of India had pledged a line of credit of US$ 167.4 million. This involves reconstruction of railway lines, training of personnel from Sri Lanka Railways in India, procurement of rolling stock and building of maintenance sheds.

Phase-One of this Project, comprising the Galle-Matara Section, was completed in February 2011. I am glad to note that Phase Two of the project, which involves the section from Galle to Kaluthara, will be completed on schedule, by April this year.

I recall that, during my visit to Sri Lanka in November 2010, I had launched the construction work for the Northern Railway Project. I am happy to note that work is progressing as per schedule. We expect all the projects relating to rehabilitation of the Northern Railway line by IRCON, being funded under an Indian Credit line of US$ 800 million, to be completed by the end of 2013.

Friends,

Let me assure you that the Government of India remains committed to working with the Government of Sri Lanka for consolidation of peace, prosperity and development and for the further enrichment of our bilateral ties.

I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you today another initiative by the Government of India to assist in developing human resources in Sri Lanka. I am happy to announce a substantial increase in India’s educational assistance, amounting to 2.5 billion Sri Lankan Rupees in grant-funding, to assist meritorious Sri Lankan students.

Under this programme, scholarships and self-financing slots for undergraduate, masters and doctorate-level courses will be increased to nearly 270 per year. This marks a three-fold increase, and includes 120 slots for undergraduate courses, 25 seats for IT engineering, 50 slots for Masters-level courses, and 40 slots for a highly-subsidized self-financing scheme. In addition, support for deserving students pursuing their GCE ‘A’ level and University degrees in Sri Lankan institutions has been expanded to cover about 500 students every year.

Friends,

This new initiative is being undertaken as part of our commitment under the “India-Sri Lanka Knowledge Initiative” launched by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, during his visit to India in June, 2010. These schemes would cover various categories of beneficiaries, ranging from school students to university researchers and teachers.

I am confident that the expanded scholarship programme will go a long way in further cementing our educational ties. The reconstruction of transport-related infrastructure will enhance connectivity, in addition to generating and supporting livelihood-related activities, not only within the Southern & Northern Province, but also with the rest of the country.

Before I conclude, I would like to place on record my deep appreciation for the cooperation extended by the Government of Sri Lanka, including the Ministry of Transport and Sri Lanka Railways, in implementing the railways projects. Continued cooperation between our agencies will be crucial for the timely completion of these projects.

Our cooperation in these areas is testimony to the strength of enduring friendship between our countries and peoples.

Thank you.