India signs MoU for IDP housing project [November 18 2010]

The government of India entered into an agreement with a government controlled company to construct 1,000 houses as a pilot project for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Hindustan Prefab Limited (HPL) under the administrative control of Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Ministry of External Affairs, a press release issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo said.

The press statement said the MoU follows a commitment by the Indian government to construct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka for rehabilitation of the IDPs during the state visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India in June 2010.

Under the Pilot Project, each house consists of 540 sq.ft. area and will be constructed with locally available material. HPL would be the Project Monitoring Consultant, the High Commission said.