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Govt. begins project to build houses for war-affected in NE
View(s):The Government this week kicked off a project to build 10,000 brick and mortar and cement sand block type traditional houses for the conflict-affected in the North and East.
These houses will have a floor area of 550 square feet, two bed rooms, kitchen, living room and toilet with calicut titles at an estimated cost of Rs 1mn, said V Sivagnanasothy, Secretary to the Ministry of Resettlement and Rehabilitation, which now falls under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s purview. The first phase of 4,750 houses started on Thai Pongal day.
Priority will be given to internally displaced persons (IDPs), families in the welfare camps and refugee returnees with special focus on families headed by women, the disabled, mine-affected families and families of missing persons, low income groups, families living in huts with children and families with elderly persons, a statement said.
The first phase is being funded through the vote-on-account allocation on the decision of a high-powered steering committee. The programme will be implemented through the District and Divisional administration based on the number of IDPs, families in the welfare camps and refugee returnees.
Jaffan will receive 1,500 houses under this stage. There will be 670 houses for Kilinochchi , 630 houses for Mullaitivu, 450 houses for Vavuniya, 350 houses for Mannar, 625 houses for Batticaloa, 400 houses Trincomalee and 125 houses for Ampara.