The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka

¶ 01 (a) (i) It is indicated in Annex. The Annex is as follows.

¶ 02 District: Matale

¶ 03 - Yatawatta Divisional Secretariat - Imbulpitiyā - Kandyenure Divisional Secretariat - Nagenahira (East) - Pallepola Divisional Secretariat - Madakumbura (5) - Laggala-Pallegama Divisional Secretariat - Etanwela (20)

¶ 04 Total risk locations/families: 42.

¶ 05 (ii) It is indicated in Annex. (iii) It is indicated in Annex. (iv) Under the resettlement programme currently in operation, the Government has granted Rs. 400,000 for buying a plot of land, Rs. 1,600,000 for buying a land with a house, and Rs. 1,200,000 for building a house on a land either provided by the Government or on a privately owned land.

¶ 06 However, since the current amounts are insufficient for constructing houses or purchasing land/houses under the prevailing market prices, steps are being taken to submit a Cabinet Memorandum proposing to increase the amount allocated for purchasing a land to Rs. 500,000, for purchasing a land with a house to Rs. 2,500,000 and for constructing a house to Rs. 2,000,000 while reducing the floor area of the house to 550 square feet. Additionally, until approval is obtained, necessary arrangements are being made to utilize the currently allocated funds to set up a room, a kitchen and a bathroom for occupation, instead of completing the full 650 square feet of the house.

¶ 07 Furthermore, a housing rental allowance up to Rs. 10,000 per month is being provided for a period of six months to families whose houses were damaged due to landslides. Within this six-month period, necessary preliminary arrangements must be made to resettle these families in a safe location.

¶ 08 Furthermore, during instances of heavy rainfall, necessary coordination is carried out to evacuate individuals residing in high-risk areas, as identified by warnings issued by the National Building Research Organization, and relocate them to safe locations under the supervision of District and Divisional Secretaries.

¶ 09 Provisions relating to measures to be taken with regard to individuals who are unwilling to join the resettlement programme and those currently residing in high-risk houses have been included in the Disaster Management Act and proposals for amending the Act have been submitted.

¶ 10 (b) Does not arise.