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Salawa disaster: Bailout package Rs. 1,200 million
View(s):By Sandun Jayawardana
The bailout package for the civilians who lost their property in the Salawa ammunition depot explosions will cost more than Rs. 1,200 million, a senior Government official told the Sunday Times.
Colombo District Secretary Sunil Kannangara said officials had completed the final damage assessment of the incident and had found 2,014 houses and business establishments had either been destroyed or damaged.
“It has been estimated that Rs.1,209 million will be needed to pay compensation. We conveyed this to the Ministry of Disaster Management on Thursday. It will now have to go before Cabinet for the necessary funds to be approved,” Mr. Kannangara said.
In Salawa, residents on Friday launched fresh protests, holding up traffic on the Colombo-Avissawella main road for two hours claiming that the Government was delaying the payment of compensation and the monthly house rent.
While the Government has estimated that the compensation payment will amount to Rs. 1,200 million residents have claimed that the valuation was much lower than the actual damage.
They have threatened to intensify their protests from tomorrow if they were not paid the monthly rental of Rs. 50,000 as promised.
However, Seethawaka Divisional Secretary M.M.S.K. Bandara said that 401 families were already getting the monthly rental of Rs. 50,000 and a list containing the names of about 200 more families was sent to the Ministry of Disaster Management this week for approval.
He said appeals regarding damage assessments could be made to a committee appointed for this purpose.
District Secretary Kannangara said the Government’s position was that families whose houses were heavily damaged would be paid the monthly rental of Rs. 50,000 to live elsewhere until their houses were rebuilt.
“That should not be misconstrued as meaning all those whose houses sustained damage would be paid the allowance,” he said.
Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said they had been able to assess the property damage within a short period.
“Once the final assessment comes to us, we will go to the Cabinet and get the money,” he said. The Minister insisted the Government had expedited the payment of compensation.
He said that in addition to the Rs. 50,000 rent for those whose houses were heavily damaged, the Cabinet last week approved the payment of Rs. 10,000 each for those who had lost their means of livelihood as a result of the disaster.
Meanwhile, the military has repaired about 825 houses damaged by the explosions while repairs to a about 40 more houses were ongoing, according to Military Spokesman Jayanath Jayaweera.