New houses for Norochcholai displaced families

Wasantha Ramanayake

PUTTALAM: Eighty new houses will be handed over to families who had lost their lands due to the acquisition of lands for the construction of the Norochcholai Power Plant by early next month, Power and Energy Minister John Senevirathne said.

"Each Family will be entitled to Rs. 20,000 initially and a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 for one year," the Minister added.

"Furnished houses with electricity and pipe borne water will be handed over to the families by the beginning of February, the Minister said. Houses were being constructed to be handed over to the families who had lived prior to the acquisition in the proposed site for the Coal-Fired Power Plant, and had engaged in fishing and cultivation," the Minister further added.

The Minister said that the infrastructure facilities had also been developed parallelly. The construction of the broad access road to the site had already been started. The 60 feet wide and 18 km long road from Palaviya junction to the site would cost Rs. 936 million.

A permanent Police station had been established at the site for the protection of the proposed power plant.

"As soon as the resettlement is over, the 200 acre land will be available for the construction of the power plant," the Minister said.

The project offices of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Chinese Company had already commenced their operations in Puttalam.

The project is expected to be completed by the year 2012, with a 900 MW electricity generating capacity. The first phase is scheduled to be commissioned in 2008-2009 adding 300 MW and the second phase would be finished by the end of 2010, the Ministry sources said.