Five thousand land deeds under Jana Sevana project

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

'Five thousand land deeds were distributed among low income families and among people who do not have housing facilities in the Colombo District under the 'Jana Sevana' housing project implemented according to the Mahinda Chinthana Future Vision, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

"There is no truth in the claims that low income families living in tenements in Colombo are to be driven away. Colombo is to be transformed into a more attractive city with the support of its residents," he said.

'The residents of Colombo are a great strength to its economy,' the minister said. The minister was addressing the deeds distributing ceremony held at Sausiripaya yesterday. Two hundred families living in lands and homes belonging to the Housing Development Authority received deeds at the ceremony under the Jana Sevena one million housing project.

According to the minister there are 1,416 estate housing projects and 216 flats with poor facilities in the Colombo district and over 75,000 families live in these housing schemes.

'They are trying to receive the ownership of their lands and homes. "This is our hope and wish as well."

"Not only building new homes, we hope to solve all other problems related to housing, including loan facilities and matters pertaining to their rights. 'Already the Housing Development Authority has built houses in several lands belonging to Municipal Councils and other government institutions. Because of this we hope to present a proposal to the next budget to get ownership of the lands automatically to the Housing Development Authority," Minister Weerawansa said.

All measures are in place to grant the ownership of the homes to those who have met certain payments and they will receive their deeds within next five years, he further added.

Building Materials Corporation chairman Udula Bandara, the Housing Development Authority Vice chairman A.W. Dayananda and a number of delegations also participated.