New houses for central hill country plantation workers

By P. Krishnaswamy

Leaders of trade-union-based political parties representing the plantation workers of the central hill country lauded President Mahinda Rajapaksa's budget announcement on construction of 50,000 houses for the plantation community in an effort to completely do away with the line-room quarters but expressed mixed views over the type of houses that are proposed to be built.

Since the general perception that has been formed after the budget announcement that the houses to be constructed would be flats-type, many of the political leaders contacted by the Sunday Observer said that only independent or single houses are suitable for the plantation workers and, therefore, the Government should review its proposal in the light of the way of life of the plantation workers and their environs. Independent houses would be more suitable for the workers, they said. They also admitted that the President's announcement is a great boon to the down-trodden community whose socio-economic and sanitary welfare remained neglected by many successive governments since independence.

Excerpts of their views:

Muthu Sivalingam, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and President of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC): There is lot of confusion among the plantation TU circles on the type of houses that are to be built for the workers under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's budget announcement. As far as I am aware, these are not flats-type of houses but instead these are two-storey houses, with the bath-room, kitchen and pantry downstairs and three living rooms upstairs. But leaving aside the type of houses to be built, we want to express our gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has kept up his promise on doing away with the line-room quarters system. In fact, he told the plantation workers when he came to address an election meeting in a hill country town that he will initiate measures to eradicate the line-room system and he has now done it. The question of what type of houses are to be built has to be decided on taking into consideration what is best for them in the light of their environment and their way of life.

These are matters that can be discussed. Over 26,000 new houses, both twin houses and independent houses, were constructed for the workers over the past 15 years and a bulk of them were constructed under the former Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry in which I was Deputy Minister. Under the Ministry of Economic Development too, a considerable number of houses have been constructed and the on-going construction of 1,000 more houses will be completed before the end of this year. Irrespective of whether the workers live in independent houses, twin houses or two-storey houses, the CWC will obtain for them the seven perches of lands, which has been promised by the Government.

V.Radhakrishnan MP, Political Leader of the Upcountry People's Front (UPF): The UPF wholeheartedly welcomes the President's gesture of goodwill towards the plantation community and his commitment towards their welfare. While we welcome his budget proposal for the construction of 50,000 houses, we do not agree on the proposed flats type of houses. Many factors such as occasional landslides, earth slips and heavy winds, have to be taken into consideration while constructing houses for the plantation community. I would like to point out in this respect that UN Rapporteur Miloon Kothari who visited the plantation areas in 2003 on a fact finding mission assessed the situation in the plantation areas and reported that only independent houses are not suitable for the plantation community. I had submitted the relevant portions of that report in parliament. So the UPF insists that the decision to construct flats-type of houses should be reconsidered.

The plantation people also do not like the flats-type of houses. I think the best alternative would be allocating them 10 perches of land, as incorporated in the 'Mahinda Chinthana', and extend them financial assistance for the construction of independent houses.

S. Ramanathan, General Secretary of the pro-LSSP Lanka Estate Workers Union (LEWU) and Secretary General of the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC): While welcoming the President's budget announcement on construction of 50,000 houses for the plantation community, our well-considered opinion on the proposal to construct flats-type of houses is that such houses are not suitable for the plantation people. This matter was discussed at the Executive Committee meeting of the JPTUC and a decision was taken to request the Government to reconsider its decision on constructing flats-type of houses.

The plantation workers should be allocated 10 perches of land and financial assistance should be extended for their self-housing. This is the decision taken at the Executive Committee meeting of the JPTUC. A decision was also taken that title deeds should be issued to the workers who obtained bank loans to construct their houses under the self-housing program and have already settled the loans.

K. Velautham, General Secretary of the pro-UNP Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union (LJEWU) and President of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF): We oppose the 'up-stair line room system' proposed under the budget. Also no mention on allocation funds to the project was announced under the budget proposal. If houses are to be constructed for the plantation workers, they should be independent houses so that the inferiority complex among the plantation workers and heir attitude towards the other communities would change.