A group of civil society activists allege that no mechanism of ‘informed consent’ was obtained from the people in the North and East for the 6,000 steel pre-fabricated housing project to be launched in the region.
At a media briefing held at the National Library Auditorium yesterday, the group asked that the project be stopped and the government instead concentrate on its already successful brick and mortar housing project.
The Cabinet recently approved a proposal to build 6,000 steel pre-fabricated houses for the war displaced in the North and East given that that recipients consent to receiving such a house. The initial proposal put forward in late 2015 was for 65,000 houses and by early 2016, it was decided that the contract would be awarded to Indian company Arcelor Mittal and to be built within four years. At the time, it was estimated that each house would be built at a cost of Rs 2.1 million but the recent Cabinet proposal has suggested that the cost of a house has been brought down to Rs 1.5 million and the numbers reduced.
The housing scheme over the last two years has come under severe criticism due its exorbitant costs, steel pre-fabricated housing not being suited to local climatic conditions, not being culturally accepted by the people and issues of durability. Given the opposition to the project, President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed the authorities to provide pre-fabricated houses to only those who want it.
“The President said the people must decide but that has not been followed through”, Development Worker Raga Alphonsus, who has been working in the North and East for the last 25 years, said.
“Even the government officials responsible for pushing the project are unaware of what steel pre-fabricated houses are. They have just been given a form to be filled by the people and a target. The most vulnerable communities are affected by this as the government officials have told them that they might not get any house at all if they do not consent to the project.”Alphonsus said.
Anthonypillai Yakob from Mannar, who had lived in a temporary shelter after being released from Camp at the end of the war, too had been given the option of a steel pre-fab house,
“The Grama Sevaka asked me if I wanted one. I told him that we have no experience in such houses, so how would we know if we want one?” Yakob said.
He said he had instead written in the form that he would prefer a brick and mortar house though such an option was not made available in the form.
“People are afraid that if they refuse this, they would not get a house at all. They are not aware of the alternatives,” Yakob said.
The group of civil society members in the North and East opposing the scheme had submitted an alternative proposal to the government in May 2016 but are yet to receive a reply regarding it.
“We have proposed that a brick and mortar house can be built locally with Rs 800,000 and with solar power and additional utilities it would come to Rs 1 million,” activist Niyanthini Kadirgamar said.
She explained that with the USD 1 billion being awarded to Arcelor Mittal for 65,000 pre-fab houses, their proposal could build close to 102,000 houses. She said the brick and mortar houses too could be completed within four years given the funding.
“There is an urgent need to provide housing and there have been many delays. Houses need to be built as soon as possible and four years seems like a realistic timescale,” Alphonsus said.
According to a housing survey done by the government in 2015, there was a need for a total of 130,000 houses for the war displaced in the North and East. At present, the Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry and the EU have built or are working on 17,500 houses. In addition, there are 65,000 landless families who also need both housing and land.
Alphonsus said the Resettlement Ministry's current scheme of building brick and mortar houses for Rs 800,000 was a success and it did not make sense to move to pre-fab houses,
“Housing is seen as a lifetime investment. Unlike steel pre-fab houses, the people have the space to expand or modify as they please with brick and mortar and it can be easily maintained. People have no sense of ownership with these pre-fab houses. It is not something they want,” he said.
Kadirgamar asked, “Why is the government pushing for an economically unfeasible project rejected by the people?”
Add new comment