Nearly 20,000 houses for Eastern Province families

COLOMBO: The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) will construct 19,749 houses for families in the Eastern Province during the past two years, the Authority said.

These houses are being constructed under the Janasevana grant programme, Janasevana loan programme, Shrama Piyasa programme, Sevana Piyasa programme, Thirasara Gammana programme, Habitat Development Programme, Tsunami Disaster Programme and Gama Neguma programme implemented under NHDA patronage.

This programme will be implemented to benefit low income earners who find it difficult to get a relief for their housing problems from banks and other financial organisations.

A total of 13,099 permanent houses in Ampara, 5,589 houses in Batticoloa and 1,250 houses in Trincomalee districts will be constructed under this programme.

It is to be implemented at a cost of Rs. 3,722 million. Measures have also been taken to reconstruct houses for 10,105 families in the Ampara district, 5,275 families in Batticaloa and 966 families in the Trincomalee under the Tsunami disaster programme implemented with NHDA patronage.

Under the Shrama Piyasa housing grant programme implemented by the NHDA, arrangements have been made to construct 2,000 houses for the poverty stricken community in temporary houses in Ampara district. A grant of Rs. 10,000 and roofing sheets were handed over to each family.

Two hundred houses in Ampara, 120 houses in Batticaloa and 150 houses in Trincomalee have been commenced with the Gama Neguma programme implemented under the Mahinda Chintana National policy for completion within this year.

Immediate measures have been taken to construct 436 houses in Ampara and Trincomalee districts at a cost of Rs. 700 million received under the Japanese-Sri Lanka friendship programme.

The NHDA said immediate action has been taken to distribute roofing sheets to 3,594 families in Ampara, 1,501 families in Batticaloa and 2,564 families in the Trincomalee district from the roofing sheets programme to fulfil housing needs of the poverty stricken families.

The NHDA has to commenced several housing projects under the Jathika Saviya programme to fulfil Eastern Province IDPs’ needs.

The construction of 100 houses at Gomarankadawala and 50 houses at Morawewa, Trincomalee district has also commenced under the programme.