Modern houses for estate workers

The Planters' Association of Ceylon has launched a program to build houses for estate workers across seven regions - Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Kandy and Badulla, to improve their living standards and lifestyles.

It is being implemented by the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), a tripartite organisation of Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), the Government and plantation trade unions.

Under this scheme, 855 houses will be built for estate workers before the end of this year.

Up to 60 percent of worker dwellings on RPC managed estates have been newly constructed or upgraded by re-roofing and other infrastructure enhancements.

Modular in design, each new house on a seven-perch block of land with a built up area of 550 square feet, will cost Rs. 515,000 each.

The house comes complete with two bedrooms, a sitting area, kitchen, toilet and pipe-borne water. Surrounding each house is an area of three perches that could be used for home gardening.

In addition to the new housing is the provision of Rs 94 million for re-roofing of 1,700 units of accommodation, which is a temporary, stop-gap measure until new housing units are built.

Beneficiaries of the new houses, who will eventually own them, get involved in the construction from the outset by doing some of the manual work.

Loans are also available to enable part contribution towards cost of construction, all of which play a pivotal role in establishing an ownership mindset.

The social benefits of improved health and hygiene, privacy for education will promote unity among family members while creating an atmosphere of dignity and self respect.