Waiting for permanent houses

The temporary houses

Temporary houses built two years ago in Vanniyativu village in Palavi in the Puttalam district for Muslim refugees from the North, are in such a dilapidated condition that they will collapse soon, their residents complain.

Fifty families were settled in 50 houses, after an opening ceremony presided over by Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdul Thahir, whose Government funded the construction. He had given an assurance on that occasion that permanent residences will be provided in two years for those who occupied the houses at the time.

But residents say that for the last two years not even a representative of the embassy had bothered to visit them. The current rains have added more misery to these people. The pit of toilets, provided at the rate of one per four houses, are by now full and overflowing posing grave health problems to the residents.

No health officer has visited the place and no clinics for pregnant females conducted during this period. While the absence of electricity is a security threat in the nights, residents complain that a sum of Rs. 400,000 provided to supply power is retained by an individual.