National Housing
Development Authority (NHDA) to provide housing facilities
to fisher families displaced due to Tsunami in Trincomalee,
Batticaloa and Kalutara Districts as well as Kalmunai DS
division of Ampara District has fully completed. This
programme is being implemented by the NHDA with the
financial assistance of International Funds for Development
of Agriculture (IFAD) and with the guidance of the Ministry
of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The NHDA has
successfully completed houses for 470 Tsunami displaced
fisheries families in above district at a cost of Rs. 230
Mln. within a year. Accordingly Rs. 105 Mln. has spent on
constructing 210 housing units in Trincomalee and 160
housing units in Batticaloa district were constructed at a
cost of Rs. 80 million. Rs. 35 million has spent on
construction of 70 housing units in Kalmunai in Ampara
district. Another 30 houses has built in Kalutara district
spending Rs. 1.5 million.
Rs. 500,000/- has
been released to construct a house to each Tsunami displaced
fisheries family by IFAD through the Ministry of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources. Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources pointed out that the financial assistance required
for infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity,
internal roads etc. also spend by IFAD. Bihanimulla
Fisheries Housing Project in Kalutara district comprising 30
housing units completed in a short period of 100 days with
the contribution of labour of prospective recipients of
houses. Supply of water, electricity and internal roads are
being done with the contribution of the Ministry of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under the guidance of
District Secretary of Kalutara.
The District
Secretary of Kalutara Mr. Hapuarachchi said that the
Bihanimulla Fisheries Housing Project is scheduled to be
open by the Prime Minister Mr. Rathnasiri Wickramanayake
with the participation of Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources Mrs. Feliex Perera, Minister of Housing and Common
Amenities Mrs. Ferial Ashraff and Minister of Nation
Building Mr. Rohitha Abeygunasekara.
The IFAD
considering the experiences of successful implementation of
the above housing project has further assisted NHDA to
construct several new houses at provincial level with the
assistance of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources. Accordingly IFAD will spend Rs. 100 Mln. for
construction of nearly 200 houses in Trincomalee, Batticaloa
and Ampara district.
14th July 2009.
