Indian engineers are beginning work on three railway track projects in Sri Lanka’s north funded by loans from India.
The three lines are Omanthai-Pallai, Madhu Church-Tallaimannar and Medawachchiya-Mannar (via Madhu). See map here.
IRCON International Limited, a company of the Ministry of Railways in India, has been given the contract.
See the Daily Mirror’s report here.
More than 200 engineers, technicians and supervisors from India would eventually be employed on the three projects. A similar number of local staff would be employed, and the labourers will all be Sri Lankan.
100 Indian stafff are already in the country, having worked on tracks in Galle-Matara link in the south, also funded through Indian loans.
Meanwhile, the first batch of Indian-manufactured engines have arrived in Sri Lanka, PTI reports.
The Export-Import bank of India (Exim) has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to provide a line of credit worth $416.39 million for the three projects.
See Business Standard’s report here.