Sri Lanka inaugurates two India‑funded model villages in Kegalle and Kalutara

Two new model villages—Nanda Gama in Kegalle and Jana Aruna Gama in Kalutara—were officially inaugurated and handed over to 48 low‑income families on 29 July. The ceremonies were jointly led by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lankan Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe, with ministers of environment, health and mass media also present.

The villages are part of the Model Village Housing Project, created under a 2017 memorandum of understanding between India and Sri Lanka. The programme aims to provide 24 housing units per village for 600 families across all 25 districts. To date, villages in 18 districts have been completed, bringing overall progress to about 98.5%, with the remaining five villages slated for inauguration soon.