196 houses for homeless Tsunami victims were handed over to them today in Sainthamaruthu. These houses were built on a grant given by Venezuela govt. on the land provided and reclaimed by the govt. on the effort of minister of housing and common amneties and leader NUA Ms.Ferial Ashraff. The Venezuela govt. granted US 70 million collected from the people of Veliverian, Venezuela on an MoU signed at the ministry of housing in 2005.

These houses were built on marshy land reclaimed at the expenses of the sri Lankan govt. with the combined effort of the ministries of nation building and housing. Originally it was planned to build 1000 unit houses of condominium/flats in the reclaimed land. However, this original scheme was changed on the political intervention of a former deputy minister. As aa result, the project was delayed and it was decided to build individual houses instead of flats. This change of plan has created landless problem in the Karavahu Vattai where the filling and reclaiming the land are costlier than the building of houses.

Another 60 houses built by NHDA on the grant given by an international NGO known as IFAD built on land reclaimed by the govt. was handed over to the benificiaries last month. Another 120 houses built for Tsunami homeless on a land acquired at the initiative of the minister Ferial Ashraff at Ismailpuram, Sammanthurai were handed over last year. Venezuela Amabassador based in New Delhi accompanied by Cuban Ambassador in Colombo graced todays event at Saithamaruthu.

Minister Ferial Ashraff's message of appreciation to Venezuela govt. was read over by U.M.Nisar, attorney at law since the minister is on an official visit to the United Kingdom.