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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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CMA wants state owned houses renovated by Don Asoka Wijewardena Around 50 state-owned housing blocks with 30,000 housing units in the Colombo city limits are found to be in need of urgent repairs and about 15 to 20 housing blocks have been identified to be in dilapidated condition and some flats are found to be on the verge of collapse. The Condominium Management Authority (CMA) which functions as a regulatory body has already advised the relevant authorities to form management corporations in each block with initial financial assistance to attend to required repairs and urgent maintenance work and informing the occupants to do subsequent maintenance work by themselves. CMA General Manager Athula Wimalaratne told the Sunday Observer that most occupants living in state-owned flats had shown a deep reluctance to get ownership of their units as they were of the opinion that they would be required to bear the entire maintenance costs if ownership was granted. Wimalaratne explained that despite the fact that an occupant was required to pay Rs. 35 to Rs. 155 per month as rental it was not enough to maintain a single housing unit. Presently the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) has to incur Rs.450 for each state-owned unit for a day. GM Wimalaratne said that most occupants had stopped paying monthly rent and no action had been taken to remedy the situation. He noted that as a practical solution to resolve the issue the concept of "management corporation" was identified but no authority had put that into practice. According to CMA GM, the NHDA has been maintaining apartment blocks with limited funds and the rectification of defective areas were insufficiently corrected and because of this neglect and improper handling of occupants some of the defective areas have now become dangerous for living and have to be repaired at heavy cost. Referring to occupants' views on forming of a management corporation,CMA GM said that many occupants had come up with certain arguments that they found it difficult to activate management corporation as financial commitments were unbearable. He emphasised that as some apartment blocks were found to be on the verge of collapse it was the responsibility of the authorities to form management corporation with some required financial backing as per the case and added that thereafter the responsibility of the entire apartment could be transferred to occupants. Wimalaratne also noted that Housing Minister Ferial Ashraff and Deputy Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera had instructed the CMA to identify all housing blocks in need of urgent repairs so that they would be able to obtain money from disaster recovery fund. " I have pointed out to Minister Ashraff and Gajadeera that some housing blocks might collapse as a result of even a minor earth tremor so they have promised to get funds," said Wimalaratne. |
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