Colombo: Sri Lanka on Sunday clarified that
it had no intention to halt foreign-funded construction work
in the former war zones where the Indian government is
building 5,000 new houses, after a media report said that new
building activities are being put on hold.
A private newspaper reported today that the Economic
Development ministry had stopped any new construction that
could affect the Indian gift of 5,000 new houses.
Clarifying its stance, the ministry said it had no
intention to stop or curtail reconstruction in the embattled
northeast, but had asked state agencies to give priority to
repairing damaged infrastructure and housing.
It denied plans to halt new construction work funded
by foreign governments in the island`s former war zones.
Besides building 5,000 new houses, India is repairing another
45,000.
"This (government circular) does not apply to on-going
50,000 housing project by government of Sri Lanka utilising a
loan provided by the World Bank and proposed housing project
donated by Government of India which also consists of
construction of 5,000 new houses and repair of 45,000 houses,"
the ministry said.
The ministry said there are several hundreds of partly
damaged buildings in the North and the repair of these
buildings was an urgent need to strengthen civil
administration.
It said there were some instances where new building
construction has been undertaken without giving preference to
reconstruction of damaged buildings.
"Therefore, instructions were to give priority to
reconstruction of damaged buildings in North and East in
future projects over construction of new buildings," the
ministry said.
"But on-going new building projects shall not be
affected due to the above decision," it said.
PTI
