Every Sri Lankan will own a decent house by 2016, President pledges

Tuesday, 7 October 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday pledged to provide a decent house to every shanty dweller in the country by 2016. He said the Government’s position is every citizen of the country should own a decent house within the next two years and the Government has taken significant measures to fulfil that goal.

The President was speaking at the national ceremony held yesterday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium to mark World Habitat Day, which falls on the first Monday of October. This year’s national ceremony was held under the theme ‘Voice from slums and future from Janasevana’. At the ceremony, the President also presented ownership deeds to 500 landless families in Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha districts. He told the people that the Government has never considered ethnicity, religion or party affiliations when providing houses to the people. President Rajapaksa further said that along with the liberation of people from the shanties, their children should also be liberated from the shanty mentality. He pledged to fulfil the responsibility of saving the future generations from the drug menace.

Coinciding with the World Habitat Day, a program to develop skills of children living in under- privileged conditions was also implemented. Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa officially presented the National Housing Policy, which was recently approved by the Cabinet, to the President. The policy is aimed at ensuring the public’s right to live in stable, qualitative, affordable, sustainable, secure and eco-friendly houses. The Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities, which is primarily responsible for formulating policies related to the Janasevana National Housing Program and implementation of its programs, has launched a one million housing and settlement development drive to fulfil the national housing requirements. At the ceremony, the President also presented prizes and certificates to the winners of the island wide essay and art competition held at the school level to mark World Habitat Day. Presentation of prizes and certificates for the best state and private sector organisations located adjacent to housing complexes also took place at this year’s World Habitat Day ceremony.