Permanent houses for evicted in Dematagoda

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Chief Government Whip and Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday that the Government will provide permanent houses built in Dematagoda next month to the people of the Colombo district, whose houses were demolished for security reasons prior to the 2008 SAARC summit.

Nearly 373 houses were demolished for security reasons as they came under the category of unauthorised constructions, he said.

"We took measures to provide temporary houses for 208 families while certain other families have already re-settled in several areas after obtaining payments from the authorities until they received permanent houses," he said.

The Minister said this, responding to an oral question raised by JVP MP Lakshman Nipunaarachchi.