The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing

¶ 01 I appreciate your concern for Batticaloa residents. According to information from the NHDA, about 48,000 houses started under various names over time remain incomplete nationwide. Batticaloa includes several of these. Some are at foundation level; some have walls; many beneficiaries have taken loans and are now debtors without completed houses. We accept this. Together with the NHDA, we are preparing a phased plan to complete such projects as allocations permit. We are also exploring with State banks the possibility of restarting a loan scheme to help beneficiaries complete construction. Further, a portion of annual budgetary allocations to NHDA will be directed phase-by-phase to these schemes. However, completing all 48,000 requires substantial funds; prioritization and timelines depend on available allocations. Therefore, I regret that I cannot give a fixed completion date now.