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50,000 brick houses for NE war-affected: Govt. calls for tenders
The Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation has called tenders for 50,000 permanent brick-and-mortar type houses for conflict-affected families in the North and East. Cabinet has granted approval for the houses based on a memorandum submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Ministry comes under the purview of President Maithripala Sirisena. “Action was taken to call for the tenders with financing arrangements on soft terms,” V Sivagnanasothy, the Ministry’s Secretary, said in a press release.
“Already the Invitations for proposals have been advertised and will be open to eligible bidders and financiers. The bidders who submit proposals should also get confirmed financing arrangements from donors or financing institutions.” Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran has filed a fresh application in the Supreme Court challenging the separate construction of prefabricated houses in the North and East and making the Cabinet of Ministers respondents.
Mr Sumanthiran last month withdrew the petition after finding out during arguments in Court that Cabinet had decided to award 6,000 houses to ArcelorMittal without calling for fresh tenders. “I had not been aware of this,” he said. “I have now re-filed the petition after additionally citing the Cabinet of Ministers as respondents.”
The other respondents are Resettlement Minister D M Swaminathan and French steel giant ArcelorMittal that has been identified for the project. The case was recently argued for more than two hours before Justices Sisira J de Abrew, Anil Gooneratne and Vijith Kumara Malalgoda, PC. The Fundamental Rights petition seeks orders to prevent the Resettlement Minister from signing a contract with ArcelorMittal or its agents for construction of prefabricated houses for war-displaced in the North and East.
It also seeks an order restraining the Minister from implementing the contract, in the event that it is signed; and another to provide him (the petitioner) with all information and documentation relating to the said construction and related tender process. It requests Court to direct that steps are taken to ascertain whether the intended beneficiaries preferred brick-and-mortar houses to prefabricated steel ones; for tenders to be called for and then awarded in accordance with the housing preferences of potential beneficiaries; and for beneficiaries to receive housing in accordance with their expressed wishes.
The prefab housing project has been in the pipeline since 2015, blocked by widespread protests. The TNA said it was “totally opposed to prefabricated steel houses” and called for civilians in the North and East to be provided with traditional masonry houses, in keeping with their culture and way of life.