Low and middle level income groups to benefit:

Colombo City gets facelift

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Over 60% of urban poor families in the Colombo city do not have access to a Community centre, which the urban poor consider a vital amenity in a community, according to a recent report.

The report titled Poverty Profile, City of Colombo compiled in the year 2002 by the UNDP and several other organisations has found that the majority population in the Colombo city are from middle and low income groups and the provision of common amenities and recreational facilities to suit their income level has become a vital factor.

The Colombo Municipal Council which is responsible for providing all these facilities for the middle and low income groups in the city has started an accelerated programme to renovate and improve the community centres, reception halls and sports grounds.

"To serve the needs of the public the Colombo Municipal Council has 56 Community centres 56 play grounds 36 reception halls and we have commenced an accelerated programme to renovate them for the use of the citizen in Colombo as they have been long neglected due to various reasons", CMC Special Commissioner Omar Kamil said.

The Sports and Recreation Department which provide necessary infrastructure is handling this programme to renovate the sports cricket, football, netball, volleyball ground in the city and also the community centres where people can gather leisurely and play games like carrom and read the newspaper.

One of the priority projects under this programme is to improve the reception halls run by the CMC for the benefit of the low and middle income people of the city to have their weddings and other receptions.

"It is our responsibility reception halls are made available at nominal rates as many of the people living in these low income settlements cannot go for private reception halls paying huge amount of money to have their weddings and other parties," Kamil said.

"We have very good wedding halls at Kirulapone, Seamons Road, Magazine Road, Jayantha Weerasekera Mawatha and at many places in Colombo and they serve a large amount of people on a daily basis and throughout the year," he added.

The other reception halls are to be developed after providing them with necessary infrastructure facilities needed.

"In that connection we have begun a reconstruction and rebuilding programme to renovate them which have been neglected for years without serving the public," he said.

The CMC has directed the District Engineers to identify two units either reception halls or community centres which have to be renovated immediately. "So within the next three months we intend to complete 12 other community centres and reception halls under this programme," Kamil added.

At the same time we have also directed the Sports and Recreation Department to identify two units from each district in the CMC which can be improved by quick colour washing and repairing enabling the CMC to improve 24 of the reception halls or community centres in the Colombo city for the benefit of the people.

"We are providing facilities at the community centres and the sports ground for the young people to improve their sports activities.

Kamil said the newly constructed two storeyed reception hall at Arnold Ratnayake Reception Hall at Suduwella, Maradana will be opened on July 19, for the benefit of the people in Suduwella area.

"We recognised the need to improve the facilities who turn to the CMC for such facilities.

They are lesser fortunate and low income generating groups and we have responsibility to provide them with necessary facilities at affordable prices as they are also part of the city," he added.

"In the future also we will try to identify new places where we can construct attractive reception halls which can serve the people for their weddings and receptions in a dignified manner without spending huge sums of money. The CMC in the coming budget will set apart necessary funds to improve as well as supplement the facilities in these community centres and reception halls," he added.

"To improve 22 sports grounds we have taken estimates and we are going to start them very soon," the Special Commissioner added. Many sports grounds under CMC were the key centres for many cricketers to undergo their practices. After Nomads ground was taken over for the Cultural Centre now cricket is played at Yatiwella, Peterson, Kollupitiya and Division 3 ground. Football is played at Henry Pedris, Price Park, Ratnam Ground.

"In the coming week we are going to start the work to have a storm water drainage system at the Campbell Park, Borella at a cost of Rs. 4.5 million as it gets inundated during the rainy season. Similarly the Ratnam ground will also be improved as it also gets affected during the rainy seasons," he added.

"We also hope to work along with the Tharunyata Hetak to have a basketball court at Henry Pedris Park. We are going through the plans and in future we will start the work for the construction of the basketball court," Kamil added.

"Through all these projects we are going to improve the facilities for the low and middle income earning people of the city as they are the beneficiaries of the projects," Kamil added.