500 housing units for North

by Mohammed NAALIR

A special survey has been conducted by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) in the Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya Districts in collaboration with the Government Agents of the respective districts have revealed that there is a need for approximately 200,000 housing units including the upgrading of houses in the North.

The Government is committed to look into the well-being of people in the North including their housing needs since they were liberated from the clutches of LTTE terrorists.

The people in the North are having a whiff of freedom after nearly three decades. Prosperity will blow into the North under the "Uthuru Wasanthaya" accelerated development drive.

There is no doubt the people who underwent untold tortures and inconveniences due to terrorism will experience the joy of real freedom. As the terrorism was uprooted, the waves of peace light up and spread throughout the North breaking the blackout.

Over 85,230 new housing units have to be constructed in the North while 89,837 housing units are to be upgraded under the 180 day "Uthuru Wasanthaya" resettlement program of the Government.

The NHDA will construct 500 housing units in the North at a cost of Rs. 45 million, including the upgrading under the guidance of Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff under the 180 day resettlement program of the Government. Rs. 20 million will be funded by the NHDA while external sources funding will be Rs. 25 million for the project. Rs. 325,000 will be granted to a beneficiary family while granting Rs. 150,000 for improvement work.

Already the Government has initiated a housing project comprising 50 housing units in the Pallamunai village in Mannar Divisional Secretariat Division for the displaced fisher families.