News
More houses from India
India and Sri Lanka signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) this week for the construction of 1200 houses through 50 model villages, using an Indian grant assistance of Rs. 600 million.
Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Minister Sajith Premadasa at the opening of the Santhosagama model village
The MoUs were signed by Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Housing Ministry secretary W.K.K. Athukorala in the presence of Housing minister Sajith Premadasa.
The signing took place during a special ceremony held in Hambantota for beneficiaries of the Santhosagama model village completed under the Gram Shakti Model Village Housing Project. The Indian High Commissioner was the chief guest at the event.
The 1200 houses will be constructed using the successful owner-driven model. Of these, 600 houses will be constructed in the Southern Province, while the remaining will be constructed across Sri Lanka, one model village in each of the 25 districts. The project will target low income landless and homeless beneficiaries. A cash grant of SLR 5 lakh will be provided to each beneficiary in five instalments, linked to the different stages of construction of the houses.
Earlier the Government of India committed 50,000 houses for the IDPs in the North and East out of which nearly 46000 houses have been completed. Construction of 4000 houses are currently underway in the plantation sector in the Central and Uva Provinces.
In May last year Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi committed another 10,000 houses for beneficiaries in the plantation.