The Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, my first supplementary question is this.

¶ 02 There is no issue with the Rs. 15,000, 25,000, 50,000 ex gratia payments; the Government’s progress in disbursing those is satisfactory, and the President recently reviewed progress. However, according to our data, in Kandy District alone there are 1,739 fully damaged houses. The Hon. Deputy Minister’s figure is 1,630; I can cite the statistics. Those who lost houses and lands have not yet received houses. For example, in Mawathura alone, 29 lives were lost and 17 houses gone; to date, not a single house has been given. In Ududumbara’s Gangoda area, 34 families need relocation; 24 were assigned to Pitigoda but are unwilling to move. When will housing be provided to the 1,630 families? By the 27th of this month, it will be six months since “Ditwah.” Many are still with relatives, parents, or in rented places. This is not just Kandy—also Matale, Nuwara Eliya and others. Can you assure Parliament when housing will be completed? We proposed securing lands swiftly, but even when Divisional Secretaries request estates to release land, hardly any are released. Can you assure by when houses will be completed?