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Jobless and hopeless – 100 families turn their backs on Ampara homes
Abandoned houses and below left a damaged house
About 100 families have abandoned homes built for them in eastern Sammanthurai in the Ampara district because of joblessness, villagers say.
“Out of the 190 families who were given homes in the largely-Muslim town of Sammanthurai, 100 have left because of economic and social difficulties,” resident, M M Rahuman, said. “About 100 families have left the village. Houses are damaged and the settlers are very poor. A kilo of rice costs 100 rupees.’’ He said many go in search of manual labour.
Another resident, T L M Jawfer, also said most left the village because of economic issues and many live from one day to another. “We limit our daily consumption of food and just pass the days,” he said.
P P M Mohamad said that the Pradeshiya Sabha was not functioning. “It seems that this Pradeshiya Sabha is not a part of this island.’’
Weaver, S. Sanny Umma, said her nephew, who made sarongs, was the family breadwinner, while other family members remained jobless. “We weave at night in the face of the mosquito menace,” she said. The children are sick and do not attend school, she said.
In Ampara, meanwhile, years after the tsunami, houses meant for victims are yet to be occupied in the wake of a court order that suspended distribution.
Resident, M. C. Mohamad, said housing units in Norochcholai in Ampara said the project was funded by Saudi Arabia and includes a school, hospital, and a playground. At the time, Mrs Ferial Ashraff was minister of housing and construction.
Ven Senapathiye Ananda Thera, the secretary of the Sinhala Bala Mandalaya (Eastern Province) said Supreme Court intervention was sought because authorities tried to allocate the houses only to one ethnic group.
The houses have been lying idle since 2006.
Teacher, Lalith Dehigolle, describes the project as a white elephant. “The Saudi Arabian Government has undertaken this scheme for the people of the area affected by tsunami,’’ he said.
B Sunil of Dighavapiya, urged the Government to take a decision and allocate houses to hundreds of homeless people.
Ven Senapathiye Ananda Thera
P. P.M Mohamad
S. Sanny Umma