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NEW DELHI: India has proposed an assistance package worth $450 million for the purpose of rebuilding cyclone-hit Sri Lanka. It will include $350 million in concessional lines of credit and $100 million of grants, announced external affairs minister S Jaishankar who is visiting the Indian Ocean neighbour as a special envoy of PM Narendra Modi.Earlier in the day, Jaishankar called on Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayake to discuss damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah and delivered a letter to him from PM Modi. “The letter from PM Modi that I handed over builds on our first responder role and commits a reconstruction package of $450 million to Sri Lanka. Our talks centred around how expeditiously this commitment can be delivered,” said the minister.He said the assistance will cover the sectors worst affected by the cyclone — including rehabilitation and restoration of road, railway and bridge connectivity; support for construction of houses, health, education systems, and agriculture; and better disaster response.“We are conscious that work towards mitigating the impact of Cyclone Ditwah on people of Sri Lanka must be done in the quickest time possible. We are discussing an effective coordination mechanism for earliest possible delivery,” said Jaishankar, while promising support also to boost FDI and tourism from India.Jaishankar recalled that India’s relief and assistance mission — Operation Sagar Bandhu — commenced on the day Cyclone Ditwah made landfall. “Overall, Operation Sagar Bandhu delivered over 1,100 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential clothing and water purification kits. About 14.5 tonnes of medicines and medical equipment were also provided. Yet another 60 tonnes of equipment were brought to Sri Lanka to assist relief operations,” he said.
