Three major housing schemes to be renovated before CHOGM

The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) yesterday launched a renovation project on another three major housing schemes in Colombo at a cost of Rs. 880 million.

The three housing schemes to be thus renovated before the end of this year were the Sahaspura and Singhapura Housing Schemes at Dematagoda and the Withana Mawatha Housing Scheme at Stewart Street, Colombo Central.

The Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa had obtained nearly Rs.9 billion from the government, submitting a Cabinet memo as an urgent business, a spokesman of the NHDA said.

Minister Weerawansa paid an official visit to the three housing schemes to inspect housing units and instructed officials to start renovation before the end of this month and conclude renovation before the November Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.

Addressing the officials and tenants in Colombo Central, Minister Weerawansa said the NHDA took steps to provide maximum possible facilities to tenants of housing schemes under its purview.

“We will give a face lift to all housing schemes under the NHDA by the time the CHOGM is held in November. The tenants of these housing schemes must be determined to keep their houses clean and tidy and dispose of their solid waste safely. After the renovation and cleaning of the housing scheme premises they must take a keen interest to keep the environment clean and tidy to keep the spread of dengue at bay,” he reiterated.

The Central Colombo Stewart Housing Scheme that comprised 70 housing units had not been renovated since its opening in 1975 when leftist leader late Pieter Keuneman was the Housing Minister.

The Sahaspura housing schemes that opened in 2007 with 120 housing units were the first highrise housing projects constructed for low income families.