President stresses on equity in development

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that slum dwellers were not to be blamed for degeneration and loss of beauty in the City because their presence was occasioned by imprudent economic policies over a long period which resulted in confining development to urban areas.

While presenting house ownership deeds to the inaugural batch of 66 beneficiary families, under the Government sponsored Arunodhaya programme, envisaged to provide permanent shelter to urban slum dwellers, the President emphasised the need to achieve equity in development.

Arunodhaya is the latest effort to address housing problems in the highly congested urban areas, and is expected to provide alternative housing units to 1,000 low income urban families as a first step, in 15 districts by June 2008.

While noting that 51 per cent of development activities in the country was confined to Colombo, the President emphasised the need to carry forward the task to rural areas without delay.

"The Government does not have any self- imposed barriers when it comes to development. When 20 new housing units come up in Kolonnawa to help the under privileged, 30 new units would be erected for the people of Vakarai," the President said.

"This Government has laid emphasis on more work and less talk," he said referring to it's mega development projects in rural areas such as the Hambantota port project, power plants in Norochcholai and Kotmale, the Weerawila airport, Moragahakanda reservoir project, upcoming highways and infrastructure development in the east and rest of the country.

The President emphasised that this was achieved during the Government's brief period of two years and finally history would evaluate it's performance, "not the noise but the work," he said.

He also added that as a Government which was sensitive to the pulse of the common man it was committed to give a permanent solution to the housing problem which also would result in resolving issues in many other spheres such as poverty, health, education, living standards etc.

The President also noted that the Government had launched a programme titled Bim Saviya to address issues pertaining to the lack of land to build houses for under privileged families. Minister for Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Dinesh Gunewardene who is spearheading the programme with the involvement of other arms of the Government said the budgetary allocation of Rs. 100 million for the project was ample testimony to the Government's commitment.

Comparing the project with earlier such efforts, the Minister observed that the present initiative had unique features, such as the home owner driven concept and also using tax incentives (one per cent from large buildings in the city) to give momentum to the project.According to the Minister, 250 housing units have been already completed and also 2,500 needy families have been identified as beneficiaries for the stages ahead.

In a bid to boost the cause Chairman of the world body Slum Dwellers International Atpudam Joachim too attended the event along with Government Ministers, UDA officials and other authorities.