Sri Lanka declines land connectivity project with India: Report

COLOMBO : Sri Lanka has declined India’s proposal for the construction of a land connectivity project linking the two countries via road and rail-bridge, stating that it was not yet ready for land connectivity, a media report said.

The proposal was raised by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake, when the two met in Colombo earlier this month, the Daily Mirror reported.

The proposal which was mentioned by New Delhi last year in December too during President Dissanayake’s visit was declined, deeming it unfeasible. During their latest meeting in April, the issue was not part of the discussions, the daily said.

Still, on one occasion during the recent bilateral talks, Prime Minister Modi, referred to the importance of land connectivity between the two countries and the many advantages it could bring.

A land bridge connecting the two countries was mooted first during the 2002/2004 government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe as the then Prime Minister. The land connectivity project was also mentioned in a joint statement by PM Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi as the President in 2023.

When he flew out of Sri Lanka on board an Indian Air Force helicopter after the visit, PM Modi observed Ram Setu which connected Sri Lanka and India in ancient times.

The ancient land bridge, said to have been constructed by Lord Ram’s army during their march to Lanka, is celebrated in both India and Sri Lanka for its geological, historical, and mythological significance.