Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, this is an important question. Due to the “Dicha” cyclone, the Malayaha community, especially in the central highlands/plantation areas, suffered severe damages. With the arrival of the cyclone, the President, the Cabinet and the Government decided to grant substantial relief.

¶ 02 We decided to provide Rs. 5 million for a person whose house suffered total damage. This is only for those who had their own house on their own land. People in line rooms do not have ownership of the houses or the land, so they were not eligible for the Rs. 5 million. However, the Cabinet, and especially the President, paid special attention and decided to grant relief to them as well. The Malayaha community has been in this country for over 200 years, yet they do not have land or houses of their own. As fellow citizens affected by disaster, they too should receive relief. Accordingly, at the last Cabinet meeting on the 6th, we decided that if a line-room resident’s house is totally damaged by the disaster, or even if not, but the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) certifies the house as high risk and unfit for habitation, or if the Disaster Management Committee determines that the house is no longer livable, they will be entitled to disaster relief of Rs. 5 million. We will provide Rs. 5 million for a house, and also 10 perches of land.

¶ 03 A Malayaha family in the plantations receiving this relief may, if they wish, purchase land and a house for Rs. 5 million wherever they prefer. If they are already on a waiting list elsewhere and have land, we will provide Rs. 5 million to build the house there. Alternatively, the Government will give them 10 perches of land and construct a 650 sq. ft. house costing Rs. 5 million. Regarding partial damage, initially we provided relief ranging from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 2.5 million for partial damage to one’s own house on one’s own land. But line-room residents were not eligible because the houses and land are not theirs. With the Cabinet decision of the 6th, we also decided that, for line-room residents who suffered partial damage, the Divisional Secretary, the Plantation Human Development Trust, and the Ministry will assess and regularise the partial damage and provide a suitable house.