Sri Lanka received its 21st model village under an India-funded housing initiative, with 24 houses inaugurated in Polonnaruwa district on Friday. The project is nearing completion at 98.5%, with four villages remaining.
The Government of India and Sri Lanka's Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply jointly inaugurated the "Suhada Gama" Model Village in Polonnaruwa district, handing over 24 housing units to beneficiaries. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath presided over the ceremony, joined by Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramarathna and district officials.
The Model Village Housing Project operates across all 25 districts under an agreement signed between the two governments in October 2017. The initiative aims to provide housing for 600 low-income families, with each district receiving 24 houses per village. Beneficiaries are selected through District Housing Committees. Model villages have previously been handed over in 20 districts, including Jaffna, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Kandy, Colombo, Anuradhapura and Trincomalee. Daily FT provides a more detailed list that also includes Gampaha, Badulla, Matale, Puttalam, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Ratnapura, Ampara, Kurunegala, Kegalle and Kalutara.
According to both sources, the overall project stands at approximately 98.5% completion, with four remaining model villages expected to be inaugurated and handed over in the coming period.