Api Wenuwen Api Second phase:

Another 27 houses handed over to war heroes

Sandasen MARASINGHE

The construction of 27 houses at Thorayaya in Kurunegala, built under the Second phase of the Api Wenuwen Api program launched to construct 700 houses for war heroes by the Defence Ministry is completed.

Speaking at a press conference, Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalle stated that those houses will be handed over on September 5, to war heroes who were rendered disable and to widows and children of the fallen war heroes.

The first phase of this program was completed on July 11 with President Mahinda Rajapaksa handing over the keys of 25 houses in Senarathgama, Kandy to war heroes.

Hulugalla told the media that the Api Wenuwen Api fund has collected Rs 700 million with the contributions made by the public living in Sri Lanka and overseas at the request of President Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Ghotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The Api Wenuwen Api Fund is a collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to build 50,000 houses for the serving Tri-Service personnel. The housing project is conducted under the guidance and close supervision of the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Defence Ministry’s Seva Vanitha Unit chairperson Ioma Rajapaksa.

He also said that every cent collected by the Api Wenuwen Api fund from the public is utilized to the construction of houses. He added that the houses were built on plots of lands owned by the war heroes and the labour was provided by the three forces personnel so that the fund was only used to buy the materials for the constructions.

Hulugalla further said that the value of each house was around Rs 2.5 million. Sometimes, infrastructure facilities such as electricity, water supply and roads for the villages in which the war heroes live are also developed to provide better facilities to them

Hulugalla further said that the construction of 12 more houses in Kurunegala District is in progress.

He also said the third and the fourth phases of the program that were initiated in Hambantota and Matara districts are nearing completion and the next phase will be commenced in the Moneragala district immediately. Hulugalla further said that it is decided to construct two houses in each of the 14000 GS Divisions with the support of the Samurdhi Authority.

Defence Ministry Additional Secretary and Defence Ministry Seva Vanitha Unit Deputy Chairperson Indu Ratnayake and Military Spokesman Major General UAB Medawela also participated on the occasion.

Contributions can be made to the Api Wenuwen Api fund to the following Account Numbers.

Bank of Ceylon Ac No: 704000, Sampath Bank Ac No. 704000 and Ac No: 092960000600 and Peoples Bank Ac No: 204-1-001-7-0000323.