HRC commences inquiry into plan to demolish houses
Tuesday, 21 January 2014 00:01
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka has commenced an inquiry into the plan to demolish houses in the Wanathamulla area in Colombo.
The Commission has initiated the inquiry following a complaint lodged by residents in the Wanathamulla alleging the violation of their human rights.
The residents, belonged to the Organisation for Protecting the Ownership of Houses in Wanathamulla, last month filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition at the Commission against the demolition of their houses.
They have claimed that their human rights have been violated by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) by trying to demolish their houses without providing any alternative housing.
The residents have requested the Commission to intervene and recommend that their houses should not be demolished until they are given alternative housing.
The HRC has said the CMC has requested for a 14-day period to submit a report on the matter.
Wanathamulla is one of Colombo’s largest shanty areas and the government has undertaken a project to remove the shanties from the capital city as a part of the Colombo metropolitan development program. (Colombopage)
