New houses for early inhabitants

By U. G. Thilakaratne  - Bope Group correspondent

Everybody should own a house. This is what Mahinda Chintana National program adopted specifically. To make this objective a reality the "Jana Sevena" program was implemented under the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) on instructions of the Housing and Common Amenities Minister which has been already implemented housing development programs all over the island for low income families, middle class families, government servants, estate workers and fisheries families are now in action.

The concept of the "Gallenen Niwahanata" program implemented under the above housing program is to provide a permanent house of their own to the early inhabitants, considered as the oldest community living in Sri Lanka.

The Minister Ferial Ashraff handed over the ownership of the new houses constructed with the participation of early inhabitants under the "Gallenen Niwahanata" program at Hennanigala, a village of early inhabitants in Dehiattakandiya D. S. Division in Ampara district.

A sum of Rupees Fifty Thousand for each family and technical assistance of experienced and skilful technical officers had been given under the phase - I by the NHDA. The arrangements will be made to provide housing facilities, water and electricity for the rest of the early inhabitants in due course. The early inhabitants have a special tendency to keep their new houses beautifully.

The early inhabitants of Hennanigala had forwarded their grievances to the authorities and they expressed their gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff for providing houses for them. Dance of "Kiri Koraha" was performed to welcome the guests including the Minister when they visited Hennanigala. The early inhabitants said that this was a special occasion to perform "Kiri Koraha" as the "Kiri Koraha" dance is traditionally performed once a year.

Several decades ago the early inhabitants were living in caves in jungle areas and subsequently moved into makeshift houses in rural areas leading a lifestyle peculiar to them. They had been agitating to provide them with housing and infrastructure facilities since long time to live in par with the modern society. As a result, on instructions of President Rajapaksa, Minister of Housing and Common Amenities Ferial ashraff has implemented the "Gallenen Niwahanata" housing program. The ancient inhabitants consider this as a great privilege and a gesture offered by the Government.

Mrs. Ashraff expressing her views said today we have accomplished a very important social obligation. Early inhabitants are a very important sector in our society who battled for their existence for a long period of time.

They have never demanded luxuries which cannot fulfil by the Government but had only asked for basic amenities to live in par with present society safeguarding their social and cultural values. Today this community is only demanding the right to live in a permanent house as the other communities of the society.

Early inhabitants were able to build a house thrice the value of the grant sum of Rs. 50,000/= given under this program. All the houses are valued Rs. 2-3 lakhs and are built environment friendly utilizing their hard earned savings and their labour.

The message given by this housing development program is that if a small grant and technical guidance is given to the prospective house builders, the house could be built utilizing their savings and their labour.

The leader of the early inhabitants Uruwarige Kalubanda of Hennanigala expressing his views said today is a very important day for us because the community of Hennanigala had shifted to this area on the request of then Minister of Mahaweli Development late Gamini Dissanayake. However the past leaders of ours, were not interested in building houses. They prefer to live as the way their ancestors lived. However the needs of the present community is changing with the needs of the modern society.

The youth of our new generation have mixed with the modern society. Accordingly need for a permanent house has arisen instead of caves and makeshift houses in which we are living today.