People in big cities must live in high rise apartments - Megapolis Minister

As the availability of lands for housing becomes extremely restricted in urban areas, building a house on a ten perch land in a metropolis would be a difficult task and therefore, people in big cities must adapt to live in high rise apartments, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday.

Minister Ranawaka lamented that when Megapolis and Western Development Ministry launches a housing scheme for the benefit of the people the assistance from other state agencies was not forthcoming.

He made these remarks when he addressed the launching of the ‘Lake Crest Residencies’, an apartment complex constructed for middle income families and in particular for public servants.

Minister Ranawaka went on to say that his objective was to make Colombo, a slum free, garbage free and beggar free city by 2025 and therefore the Megapolis and Western Development

My ministry has allocated Rs. 48 billion in 2018 to construct houses in Colombo alone

Ministry has launched a number of massive projects at a cost of Rs. 30 billion.

“My ministry has allocated Rs. 48 billion in 2018 to construct houses in Colombo alone. To construct office complexes at Battaramulla it costs the Urban Development Authority Rs. 15 billion. To create a hygienic Land Fill in Aruwakkau in Puttalam, using solid waste collected daily in Colombo costs another Rs. 4 billion. In addition, the Megapolis and Western

Development Ministry has signed contracts to build an elevated light railway line fom Malabe to Colombo which will cost another Rs. 40 billion, to ease traffic jams in main highway. The massive infrastructure development projects covering Colombo and satellite cities will also cost Rs. 85 billion,” Minister Ranawaka stressed.

The ‘Lake Crest Residencies’ is coming up at an attractive landscape near Mulleriyawa lake and it comprises 500 units of houses in five apartment complexes. The minimum price of a house will be Rs. 3.8 million and the maximum price is Rs. 4.2 million.