The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the Hon. Member raised a timely issue, now a subject of intense discussion. We have proposed the “Yativara Mapiya Niwahana” programme. After extensive discussions on the difficulties faced by the parents of venerable monks who devote themselves to the Sasana, we moved from talk to action. In collaboration with the National Housing Development Authority, the Ministry will implement a housing project providing Rs. 1.5 million per beneficiary to build houses for the parents of such monks. With the Hon. President’s intervention and directions, Cabinet approval has been received. We intend to implement this nationwide targeting 1,000 houses in the coming period, prioritizing remote and difficult villages. We have already received strong positive responses, and we expect to commence within this year.