Watawala Plantations invests Rs. 44 million on 100 homes in Dickoya Estate

Watawala Plantations PLC ( WATA), a subsidiary of the diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate Sunshine Holdings PLC, has announced the commencement of an extensive housing programme in the Dickoya district that - once completed - will provide improved housing, infrastructure and amenities for 100 families from the Lonach estate.

Part of an ongoing commitment from the company to enhance the living standards, lifestyles and livelihoods of estate sector communities, the new houses are designed to include all basic amenities, while each home will also be constructed with a dedicated plot of land for employees to cultivate crops to supplement both their incomes and nutritional requirements, according to a company media release.

Facilitated through an investment of Rs. 44 million, the initiative is anticipated to further strengthen Sunshine Group’s efforts towards providing housing facilities that uplift the livelihood and standard of living of each of the group’s employees.

“Sunshine’s ‘Visionary Housing Scheme’ was designed in alignment with Government plans to provide greater land ownership and improved housing to plantation sector employees in addition to a further plot of land in the extent of 7 perches, as part of an effort to create opportunities for alternative income generation,” the release said.

Under the WATA’s new housing initiative a total of 100 individual housing units will be built and handed over to employees and their families who are currently based in Lonach Estate before the end of 2017.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony, Group Managing Director of Sunshine Holdings PLC, Vish Govindasamy said: “The Sunshine Group has a long and well established legacy of responsible entrepreneurship and over the years we have worked diligently to expand this basic principle into all aspects of our business. In that regard, we are very pleased to begin the process of building new and better homes for our valued e m p l o ye e s. By improving their living standards and supporting these communities to develop alternative options for income generation, not only will we uplift living standards but we are confident that these improvements will ultimately flow back into the plantation industry as well”.

Modular in design, each new house is constructed on a seven perch block of land with a built up area of 550 square feet at a cost of Rs. 640,000 each. The house comes complete with one bedroom, a sitting area, kitchen, toilet and pipe- borne water. Surrounding each house is an area of three perches that could be used for home gardening. In addition to these facilities, the housing scheme’s locality near the Hatton town will provide access to better roads, schools, playgrounds, and other community amenities.

Watawala Plantations employs more than 9700 people and reach out to nearly 55000 residents on their estates. Up to date, Watawala Plantations has provided 35.58Ha of land for 2010 houses, supporting the socioeconomic progress of their employees’ on an ongoing basis.

Watawala Plantations employs more than 9700 people and reach out to nearly 55000 residents on their estates