President Maithripala Sirisena vested with the people 437 houses constructed under the Niwasak Wenuwata Jivitayak programme implemented by the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry and the Urban Development Authority, at the Siyapath Sevana new housing scheme in Dematagoda, yesterday.
The housing project is implemented with the aim of providing better housing facilities to the underprivileged people in the city of Colombo.The project was launched under the programme to settle over 50,000 families living in 1,500 dwellings under minimum facilities in the Colombo city, in apartment complexes with all facilities. The complex was constructed at a cost of Rs. 1,748 million.
Under this programme, 1,874 houses built at a cost of Rs. 7,496 million during 2016 and 2017 were handed over to the people previously. In addition, by the end of May 2018, another 1,439 houses built at a cost of Rs. 5,756 million were handed over to the people.
The Urban Development Authority is at present, constructing 9,100 houses at a cost of Rs. 42,330 million, with the aim of handing them over to the people by 2020. These housing complexes will be constructed in the areas of Henamulla, Dematagoda, Angoda, Mattakkuliya, Maligawatta, Kolonnawa and Blue Mandel.
The new housing complex not only offers beneficiaries with a new house, but also opens to them a new life as community development programmes to uplift the livelihood of the people and to provide opportunities to develop skills on sports, education, health and leadership have also been facilitated.
The President, who opened the new housing complex by unveiling the commemoration plaque, later engaged in an observational tour of the complex. The ‘Suhuru childhood development centre’ in the housing complex was also observed by the President. The keys to 10 houses were handed over to the owners of houses.
Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Member of Parliament S. M. Marikkar, Mujibur Rahuman, Western Provincial Councillor Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, Chief Organizer for the Borella Electorate Attorney-at-law, Ajith Pathirana, Director General of Urban Development Authority Sumedha Ratnayake and other public officials were present.
