Compensation for houses, cultivations damaged by floods

Chaminda PERERA

Arrangements are in place to provide compensation for the houses and cultivations damaged by recent floods in the Eastern, North Central and Central Provinces soon.

According to Disaster Management Ministry Additional Secretary Gamini Rajakaruna, the Government will grant compensation of Rs. 50,000 for a fully damaged house while Rs 25,000 would be paid for a partially damaged house on the recommendations of the respective Divisional Secretaries and District Secretaries.

He was speaking at a press conference at the Information Department yesterday.

Rajakaruna said his Ministry is in negotiation with the Housing and Construction Ministry and the Economic Development Ministry to seek the possibility of increasing the amount of compensation which would be paid in respect of the damages to houses.

More than 20,000 houses were partially damaged while 5,600 houses were fully damaged following the floods that affected five districts in the country.

He said the Ministry is waiting for the details from the respective Divisional Secretaries of damages to houses and cultivations due to floods.

Thirteen camps are still in operation in the Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Ampara and Trincomalee districts and 450 people from 126 families in the Kandy district are still living in eight camps in the Kandy district.

He said the the Disaster Management Ministry will pay compensation of Rs. 20,000 for an acre of paddy cultivation destroyed by the recent flood and the Ministry is in discussion with the Agrarian Services and Wildlife Ministry to increase the compensation paid for the damages on cultivation.

Rajakaruna added that the Agrarian Services and Wildlife Ministry in association with the World Food Program has launched a program to provide a pack of dry rations to each farmer family whose cultivation was totally destroyed by the floods for a period of six months.

He added that more than Rs. 190 million were allocated for the immediate assistance of people affected by the floods. "The Treasury released Rs. 100 million for the Batticaloa district alone," he added.

Meanwhile Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry Secretary P.B. Abeykoon, said the Government servants affected by the floods can apply for the distress loan.

He commended the services of Government servants and the Security Forces who came to the rescue of the people who were affected by the floods.