Sri Lanka: India willing to provide further Rs 300-million to construct 600 houses

The government of Sri Lanka has received the Cabinet nod to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India to obtain a Rs 300-million financial grant to build 600 houses for poor families. A survey carried out on housing requirements in 2016 has revealed that 216,197 families do not have either a house or a land to build a house of their own.

According to a Cabinet statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Housing and Construction is currently implementing an extensive programme called the 'Grama Shakthi Model Village' for resolving the housing problems of the poverty stricken people. Under the programme, the Government of India has already provided a financial grant of Rs 300-million for the construction of 600 houses in 25 model villages throughout the island.

With the evaluation of the progress of the project, the Government of India has expressed willingness to provide a further award of Rs 300-million for the construction of another 600 houses, the ColomboPage reported on Sunday. Accordingly, the Cabinet had given the approval for a proposal put forward by the Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa to implement a program to provide houses for another 600 families of abject poverty under the Grama Shakthi Model Village Programme by utilising the Indian Government grant of Rs 300-million and to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India.