The government has decided to take up the construction of 65,000 houses “on a priority basis” for Eelam War-hit families in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

This is inclusive of the total requirement of 1,37,529 houses to be built in the two provinces. However, the total figure is over and above 46,000 houses being constructed under a programme funded by the Indian government.

After a meeting between Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York a few days ago, spokesperson of the Indian government’s External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup was quoted as saying that “we expect 46,000 houses to be completed by early next year.” As per the Sri Lankan government’s plan, reputed national and international companies will be invited to send proposals that will be scrutnised by a committee.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which submitted its report to the government in November 2011, recommended to the government to address “on an urgent basis” housing needs of those internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their original places. It had also called for accessing “all possible sources of assistance” from institutions and individuals, national and international, for the purpose.

As many as 13,459 families, accounting for 44,934 persons, were yet to be resettled as on April 30. (The Hindu)