India to help Sri Lanka build roads in Jaffna

India has agreed to help develop the road infrastructure in Sri Lanka's Jaffna region, official sources said on Wednesday. The issue came up for discussion when Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari called on visiting Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Vickramasinghe.

"During the discussions, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister invited the Indian government to take up development of three major road stretches - Jaffna to Mannar, Mannar to Vavuniya and Dambulla to Tricomalee," a Ministry official said. Gadkari assured Vickramasinghe, who is on a five-day visit to India, full cooperation in "developing world-class infrastructure" in the region.

He also suggested that taking up these stretches for development may only be possible with the active support of Sri Lankan agencies on land acquisition and local clearances. Gadkari reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to India's active support in strengthening bilateral relations.