Housing project for Northern Province
The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) will launch an accelerated housing development programme to provide 1,000 houses expeditiously to needy families in Northern Province during this year.
Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff has given instructions to the NHDA to implement this accelerated housing development programme under the programme to be launched by the Government parallel to dawn of peaceful environment on completion of humanitarian operations.
This programme will be implemented to provide 1,000 housing units to families displaced by war in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts. Cost for 500 houses will be met by the NHDA. This 500 houses programme will be implemented in line with the Gama Neguma housing development programme.
The total cost on this programme is Rs. 50 million. Rs. 25 million will be invested under the Gama Neguma housing development programme and the balance Rs. 25 million will be borne by recoveries of housing loans.
The high level of loan recovery in Northern Province in comparison to the other areas of the country amounting to over 80 per cent, is a positive factor to implement housing development programme successfully in Northern area.
Financial assistance for the balance 500 houses of the housing development programme for 1,000 families of Northern area will be borne by the proposed housing development programme planned by the Government for Northern area.
Construction of 500 houses will be implemented with the financial assistance of Northern rehabilitation housing development programme, Northern special housing and infrastructure development programme, provincial political leadership and various development programmes implemented under the guidance of district secretaries.
The above housing development programme covering all the districts of Northern Province will be implemented in three stages in 2009.
