The Hon. K.V. Samantha Vidyarathna

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, a brief clarification: On estate housing, in 2025 we planned 4,700 houses. Beneficiaries were selected by committees chaired by Divisional Secretaries, focusing on families at high landslide risk. We forwarded all data to the Indian High Commission. However, certain parties made representations there, which stalled the process. Nevertheless, we have issued deeds for 2,056 houses in Bandaragama recently. While we could not achieve 100 percent, we have reached about 50 percent. On the 1,300 houses from the previous year, there were contractor-related issues which we are addressing.

¶ 02 On the New Villages Development Authority for the Plantation Region: historically, it had no separate Budget line. For the first time, we have included a dedicated Budget line this year to strengthen it institutionally. We are not abolishing it.