India to repair 49,000 houses in Sri Lanka

2 December 2011 01:34 pm

The Union Cabinet has given its nod for reconstruction and repair of 49,000 houses for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Northern and Eastern Provinces and for Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs) in Sri Lanka.
 
For this purpose, the Centre would provide a grant assistance of Rs 1, 319 crore. The project will benefit 49,000 IDPs and Indian origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.
 
Under this project, 38,000 houses would be reconstructed under the owner-driven model for IDPs. Repairs would be undertaken on 5,000 houses under the owner-driven model for IDPs. As many as 6,000 houses would be constructed under the agency-driven model for vulnerable sections of IDPs in the Northern and Eastern provinces and for IOTs in the Central and Uva provinces. The project will primarily be implemented under the owner-driven model wherein the beneficiaries themselves will undertake the reconstruction work and funds will be released into their bank accounts based on certification of work.
 
A few houses will also be constructed for the vulnerable sections of IDPs such as physically challenged, single women households, and widows under the Agency model.
The construction of 49,000 houses for resettlement and rehabilitation of IDPs in Sri Lanka is part of the overall commitment announced by the Prime Minister during the state visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in June 2010.
 
This commitment was reflected in the joint declaration issued at the end of the visit on June 9, 2010. A pilot project for the construction of 1,000 houses in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka is already under implementation. (Source: The Hindu Business Line)