‘Sheltering the poor, rich have bounden duty’

Wealthier sections of the community have a bounden duty to contribute towards housing programs intented for the poor people.

Funds for this housing scheme were enhanced with the one percent tax charged on urban buildings exceeding a floor space of 5,000 square feet, said Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena when he opened the Taladuwa Urban Housing Scheme in Negombo recently. Gunawardena said this scheme was built to provide permanent houses to the tamil community living in temporary and makeshift abodes in Negombo town. Steps have also been taken to provide housing for people displaced on account of the Hamilton Canal Development Project too.

All these development schemes were the result of program to uplift the poor initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa while the Government was engaged in a costly humanitarian war against terrorist. He said poor Tamil families in Negombo had been a neglected lot for the last 77 years.

Now they have the opportunity to move into modern flats on account of this new housing scheme. The new scheme had 86 housing units and another 24 houses would be built to augment it. Aviation Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, Katana SLFP organiser Dr. (Mrs) Sudarshanee Fernandopulle, Negombo Mayor Herman Bernard Kurera and NHDA Chairman Prasanna Gunawardena also spoke.