Mega housing plan for Colombo's 'under-served' families

Suraj A Bandara

The government will improve the quality of under-served settlements in the country and has offered contracts to construct 10,000 housing units for them with all modern facilities and sanitary requirements, UPFA Parliamentarian Udith Lokubandara said.

The project is being implemented through Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the direct supervision of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, he said.

The UDA has taken over the responsibility of constructing nine housing schemes which will house over 10,000 families.

According to the UDA, the basic needs of these 'under-served' settlements are toilets, drinking water, community centres and roads.

Each house will be constructed on a 400 square feet land and will have minimum two rooms. All these housing schemes will comprise elevators, generators and water pumps.

The ground floors will be utilized for commercial purposes and common activities. The income generated through commercial work will be used for the maintenance work of the buildings, he said.

Housing schemes in Dematagoda, Maligawatta, Aluth Mawatha, Mayura Pedesa, Henamulla, Stadium village, Cyril C. Perera Mawatha, Thotalanga and Borella - 54 Watta are now being constructed and renovated. On the directive of Mahinda Chinthana, the UDA with the direct supervision of the Defence Ministry has planned to provide one housing unit for each family.

The UDA will be the decision-making body recording the utilization of labour and spending of funds.

It will provide technical supervision and material. After renovation is completed, the houses will be handed over to the people under the supervision of the National Housing Development Authority.