12,500 new houses for rural community
The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) plans to construct 12,500 housing units at a cost of Rs. 500 million under the "Jana Sevana" District housing project for the rural community NHDA Chairman Mohammed Rafeek said. He said that the Treasury has promised to allocate Rs. 200 million while Rs. 300 million will be borne by the NHDA from the recovery of the previous loans. Rafeek said that District Housing Development Committees have been established chaired by the relevant District Secretary. The District Housing Committee plays a prominent role in rural housing development activities, he added. He said that the NHDA has implemented housing projects for the poor community in 21 districts. Special housing grant programmes have been introduced for the Northern Province. Work on 9,670 houses are in progress while 6,577 houses have already been completed. The Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry is constructing 3,458 houses with the allocation of Rs. 500 million. He said that moves are underway to complete the construction work of 10,000 housing units by December 31. The NHDA is distributing Rs. 100,000 for the construction of a new housing unit while Rs. 50,000 has been allocated for the renovation on existing housing units. Special housing projects have been implemented in the Colombo, Badulla, Galle, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Moneragala, Nuwara-Eliya, Ratnapura and Puttalam Districts with the funding of the Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry.