No eviction of shanty dwellers - Milinda Moragoda

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Shanty dwellers in Colombo will not be moved out of Colombo under any guise but would be settled within the Colombo city limits in apartments with all the required facilities for them to lead dignified lives, Colombo UPFA mayoral candidate Milinda Moragoda said yesterday.

He said shanty dwellers living under poor facilities for generations, should be moved to apartments as it was done in Singapore, to make Colombo an attractive city.

He added that there should be a change in the attitudes of the people to live in apartments and the matter would be discussed with community leaders, religious leaders and politicians of the area.

He made this observation at a press conference, the first of a series to introduce the Colombo Municipal Council UPFA candidates at which Yamuna Ganeshalingam, wife of the late Colombo Mayor K Ganeshalingam, also participated, as a candidate.

Moragoda said that whatever rumours spread by politicians, nobody should do politics with the future of the children living in shanties in Colombo.

He added that the areas where shanties were located in Colombo were identified as Koriyawas some 10 years ago and now they are called Somaliyawas. He questioned whether this culture should be transferred to the next generation. He also said that this has to change now. Now the number of shanties have increased to around 50,000.

He added that they are paying tax to the CMC and it was a responsibility of the CMC to create an environment to allow them to lead dignified lives. With reference to the UPFA Colombo candidates' list he said that diversity was the strength of the UPFA. He added that the list consists of candidates representing all races, all social classes, various political parties, gender etc.