House for ‘cave family’

The plight of a destitute family living in a cave at Higurana in Damana Divisional Secretariat area in Ampara District was revealed by the media recently.

No sooner the Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff, got to know this matter, she instructed the National Housing Development Authority to build a house for the family of U.G. Karunawathie and her five children, utilising funds of the Janasevana Grant Housing Programme.

Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff with the Chairman and Officers of the National Housing Development Authority made an observation visit to the cave at Higurana recently, where the destitute family lives.

In this visit, Minister Ferial Ashraff saw the destitute family living in abject poverty under going many hardships and difficulties and instructed NHDA to expedite the construction of this house. The NHDA Chairman expressing his views, said construction work of this house has already begun with the assistance of the District Secretary of Ampara, Sunil Kannangara.

Preliminary construction work of this house has already begun under the patronage of the Divisional Secretary, Damana. State institutions including the State Timber Corporation as well as non governmental organisations and Samurdhi Societies of the area have extended their support for constructing it.

National Housing Development Authority is offering technical support and guiding the construction work. NHDA has targeted to complete the construction within 03 months.

Minister Ashraff expressing her views, said more attention has been drawn to housing needs of the people of the rural areas in implementing housing development programmes launched islandwide by the National Housing Development Authority under the direction of Housing and Common Amenities Minister.

The Minister said “the right to live in a permanent house has been ensured for destitute poor families specially highlighted daily by print and electronic media during past years under Janasevana Grant Housing Programme. Under this Janasevana Grant Housing Programme many destitute poor families living in the north-east and the rest of the country were able to obtain the right for a house".

Minister Ashaff expressed her gratitude to the media for giving publicity to the family of Karunawathie and her children living under despicable conditions in a cave and assured that such similar cases highlighted by the media will be given immediate attention.

Accordingly, action would be taken by the National Housing Development Authority with the initiative of District Secretary of Ampara to complete the construction of this house to enlighten the life of Karunawathie who lives in a cave.