India to build sea bridge,tunnel to connect Sri Lanka

Keen on promoting connectivity in the South Asian region, India is set to build a sea-bridge and tunnel connecting Sri Lanka while a pact has been inked with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal for seamless flow of traffic and passenger vehicles, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. The Asian Development Bank is ready to fully finance a bridge building project connecting Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.The project was also discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his counterpart during the latter's recent visit," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha.The India-Sri Lanka connectivity project cost is pegged at about Rs 24,000 crore.The Government, right from the day it assumed office, has been focussed on enhancing regional cooperation.Subsequent to PM's announcement of 'Act East policy', India pro-actively engaged in building effective and credible links between South Asia and South East Asia through enhanced regional connectivity," he said.