India has handed 125 SUVs to the Sri Lankan police under a line of credit as part of its ongoing efforts to support the cash-strapped island nation and address the serious mobility restriction issues faced by the police due to non-availability of vehicles.
As part of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, India has extended multi-pronged assistance to Sri Lanka over the last 12 months to help the country tide over its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain in 1948.
Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay on Thursday handed over 125 SUVs to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles for Sri Lanka Police in an official ceremony in Colombo yesterday.
Taking to Twitter, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said that another 375 SUVs will be dispatched to Colombo under an existing line of credit.
“India’s Support to Sri Lanka continues. The High Commissioner ceremonially handed over 125 Mahindra SUVs to Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles for Sri Lanka. Police 2day. More out of a total 500 state of the art SUVs under an existing Line of credit coming soon! Contract was signed earlier this year,” it said
Alles said Sri Lanka police faced serious mobility restriction issues due to non-availability of vehicles as fleet replenishments were not possible for the last three years.
The support India provided ranges from economic assistance of close to USD 4 billion to help secure Sri Lanka’s food, health and energy security by supplying essential items like food, medicines, fuel and kerosene.
These 125 SUVs constitute the first batch of the planned supply of 500 vehicles for Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies and armed forces under an existing Line of Credit of US$ 100 mn extended by Government of India to Sri Lanka sometime ago.
These vehicles with state of the art facilities will help address Sri Lanka’s requirements and augment capacities across the country.
India and Sri Lanka enjoy a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral partnership. In line with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, Government of India’s assistance to the people of Sri Lanka is extended in various forms, including in implementation of various projects under concessional Lines of Credit.
This assistance continues even in the current situation. Till date, Lines of Credit worth about US$ 3.2 billion have been extended to Sri Lanka in diverse sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, supply of petroleum, fertilizers, etc.
Separately, in March 2022, Government of India also extended a concessional Credit Facility of USD 1 billion to GOSL through the State Bank of India for supply of essential items like food, medicines, fuel, etc.
