Commercial Bank presents houses to tsunami affected in the south

Ten families living in the Matara district who lost their houses to the December 2004 tsunami, have been provided with new homes by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon under a housing project initiated by the Bank.

Picture shows Managing Director of Commercial Bank Amitha Gooneratne (left) handing over the key to a new house to a tsunami victim in the presence of the Senior Manager of Commercial Bank's Matara Branch Asoka De Silva.

The houses were built on the recipient's own land or on land allocated to them by the government. The project cost more than Rs 5 million.

Each house of approximately 500 square feet comprises two bedrooms, a sitting and verandah area, pantry and toilet, and is set in its own garden.

The houses were handed over to these families by the Managing Director of Commercial Bank Amitha Gooneratne in the presence of several government officials, customers of the Bank and residents of the area. Gooneratne said soon after the tsunami the Bank had undertaken emergency relief activities where grants of Rs 2,000 each were paid to over 100 affected families in areas such as Batticaloa, Hikkaduwa and Ambalangoda. "Subsequently we paid Rs 10,000 to each of these families to purchase their basic amenities and utensils and to start new livelihoods," he said.