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| Thursday, 9 October 2003 |
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Rs. 300 million allocated as housing assistance for flood victims The second stage of the government's programme of providing housing assistance to victims of the recent floods in the Galle District was held at the Welivitiya-Divithura Divisional Secretariat under the patronage of Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya and Public Administration, Management and Reforms Minister Vajira Abeywardena recently. People's Alliance Parliamentarians Dr. Richard Pathirana and Piyasena Gamage also participated. Under this relief programme the government provides Rs. 100,000 in respect of a fully damaged house and Rs. 40,000 for a partially damaged house. Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya addressing the gathering after handing over the relevant cheques to the beneficiaries under the programme said the Government would provide relief to all flood victims in the district without any political bias. He said, the funds necessary for the payment of housing relief have been obtained with much difficulty and requested the recipients to make maximum use of the money to improve their lifestyles. Public Administration, Management and Reforms Minister Vajira Abeywardena said the floods in the Galle District in May caused damages totalling around Rs. 4.5 billion. The government which is only two years old was able to withstand this colossal damage and take remedial measures due to the farsighted policies of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Nearly Rs. 300 million has been paid for rebuilding homes damaged in the floods. Of this Rs. 90 million will be allocated to the Neluwa and Thawalama Divisional Secretariat divisions. He said the most disheartening news in the recent floods was the loss of 17 innocent lives. The team spirit shown by the GA, Police, Divisional Secretaries and other state officials in meeting the flood threat had helped them to prevent any further loss of lives. Minister Abeywardena said during the height of floods the Prime Minister toured the Galle District and took immediate measures to help the flood victims. The programme drawn up by the Prime Minister included both short-term and long-term measures. What they were implementing now were the long-term measures. He said the school in Lankagama which was washed away in the floods was being rebuilt at a cost of Rs. 20 million. The government has now initiated a massive development programme costing nearly Rs. 20 billion in the Galle District. This is unprecedented in the history of the Galle District. Mr. Abeywardena said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was today acting in the spirit of a true Buddhist. Today there were no loss of lives among the Security Forces and Police due to the ceasefire he had initiated by signing an MOU with the LTTE. The Prime Minister had been able to secure Jaffna and prevent a division of the country. Minister Abeywardena who described the Galle district as a district which achieved political differences in attending to development work said former Minister Richard Pathirana was fully aware of this. That was why Dr. Pathirana had attended that ceremony to offer his support and blessings for a public cause. Galle District MPs Gayantha Karunathilleke, Jayantha Jayaweera and Ananda Abeywickrema and Galle District Secretary G. Hewawitharana also participated. |
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