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Pension scheme, housing programme for estate sector

A pension scheme for estate workers and a housing programme of 10,000 estate houses would be implemented this year in order to raise the living conditions of the estate population, said the Minister of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella when he declared open a housing scheme to replace line rooms at Levent Estate, Yatiyantota on Tuesday.

He said "These workers who spend their whole lives among the tea bushes and the rubber trees have to leave their line rooms when they retire without any income of their own or a roof above their heads. They have to undergo inhuman suffering with their whole family. That is why we have organised a Human Development Trust to raise their living standard and also grant a pension in their retirement.

The pension scheme has already been formulated and it should be implemented before the end of this year." Minister Kiriella opened several housing schemes consisting 117 houses at Levent, Devalakanda, Ganepalla, Kiriporuwa and Dernandin estates in Yatiyantota.

Minister Kiriella reminded them how this estate housing programmes were neglected at the early stages and how this government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took a special interest and provided money to go ahead with the new housing schemes on the estates.

He observed "During this month alone 260 houses in Ruwanwella and Yatiyantota areas have been opened and during the next month 108 more houses are scheduled to be opened.

After the Tokyo Aid Conference a housing fund would be set up to build 10,000 houses on estates." Minister Kiriella concluding his address added "I am particularly happy that decent housing units have brought about a closer friendship between the Sinhala and the Tamil Plantation workers. Culturally and socially they have come together. We see this among the estate workers in estates we visited today in Yatiyantota."

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