Sri Lankan Prime Minister and leader of the United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday thanked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for sending material aid to the crisis-hit island nation. “Sri Lanka today received ₹2 Billion worth Humanitarian aid including milk powder, rice and medicines from India. Our sincere gratitude to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Hon. @mkstalin and the People of India for the support extended,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the High Commission of India, Colombo, said High Commissioner Gopal Baglay handed over a large consignment of humanitarian assistance, worth more than SLR 2 billion from the people of India to Foreign Minister Prof. G.L Peiris in Colombo. The consignment consisted of 9,000 tonnes of rice, 50 tonnes of milk powder and over 25 tonnes of drugs and medical supplies.
The consignment was flagged off from Chennai port by Mr. Stalin recently. “This is also the first consignment under a larger $16 million commitment of 40,000 MT of rice, 500 MT of milk powder and medicines by Government of Tamil Nadu,” the release said.
The materials shall be distributed among the vulnerable and needy, including Northern, Eastern, Central and Western Provinces by the Sri Lankan government in the coming days. More humanitarian consignments and other forms of assistance from India shall follow, the release said.
