India to build USD 1.8 mn auditorium at Sri Lankan varsity

India today said it will build a1500-seat auditorium at a cost of USD 1.8 million at a university in southern Sri Lanka as part of its development partnership with the country in the field of higher education.
The government of India is undertaking a project to set up the'Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium' in the University of Ruhuna in the southern town of Matara at a cost of Sri Lanka rupees 265 million (USD 1.81million), a statement from the Indian High Commission said.
Spanning an area of about 3000 square metres, the auditorium will have a 1,500 seating capacity, besides well equipped theatre facilities.

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Y K Sinha laid the foundation stone for the auditorium.
The auditorium will reflect the close cultural links that bind India and Sri Lanka as well as cater to the needs of the students of the university and the people of the Southern Province, the statement said.
It can also be a venue for hosting international conventions, conferences and symposiums as well as training programmes, it said.
The construction work is expected to be completed in September next year.
Following a process of competitive bidding, a contract to construct the building complex was signed on March 17 this year.