Daily News: 21/03/2006" By Shanika Sriyananda
The local and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), now with 'fat' pockets, will be named soon for their failure to construct houses for tsunami victims.
After repeated warnings to these NGOs, the government has decided to make the public aware the names of those NGOs with details, the quantum of money they received, the expenditure, number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) signed, and commitments to build houses as they try to evade responsibility.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Tsunami Housing Reconstruction Unit (THRU) Gamunu Allawattegama told the 'Daily News' that the lethargic attitude of certain NGOs was a stumbling block to expedite the housing reconstruction for tsunami survivors.
According to Allawattegama, they have warned these NGOs.
These NGOs claim about administrative problems over the delay in construction of houses. However, the THRU earlier targeted to complete over 30,000 new houses, before the end of 2005, for tsunami victims. But it was only able to complete 5,400 houses after 14-months of the disaster.
Allawattegama said that over 3,000 houses were handed over to victims and 8,000 houses were now under construction.
"Except the highrise housing schemes proposed in Colombo and other areas, housing construction in other districts will be completed during the first quarter of next year", he said adding all the problems including land acquisition, have now been resolved.
He said although the THRU warned the NGOs and had several meetings to negotiate, these bodies yet tried to 'escape' and evade commitment.
"They will be exposed soon as the government keeps a sharp eye on their activity", he said adding that these NGOs had received huge sum of money for tsunami housing reconstruction.
The local and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), now with 'fat' pockets, will be named soon for their failure to construct houses for tsunami victims.
After repeated warnings to these NGOs, the government has decided to make the public aware the names of those NGOs with details, the quantum of money they received, the expenditure, number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) signed, and commitments to build houses as they try to evade responsibility.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Tsunami Housing Reconstruction Unit (THRU) Gamunu Allawattegama told the 'Daily News' that the lethargic attitude of certain NGOs was a stumbling block to expedite the housing reconstruction for tsunami survivors.
According to Allawattegama, they have warned these NGOs.
These NGOs claim about administrative problems over the delay in construction of houses. However, the THRU earlier targeted to complete over 30,000 new houses, before the end of 2005, for tsunami victims. But it was only able to complete 5,400 houses after 14-months of the disaster.
Allawattegama said that over 3,000 houses were handed over to victims and 8,000 houses were now under construction.
"Except the highrise housing schemes proposed in Colombo and other areas, housing construction in other districts will be completed during the first quarter of next year", he said adding all the problems including land acquisition, have now been resolved.
He said although the THRU warned the NGOs and had several meetings to negotiate, these bodies yet tried to 'escape' and evade commitment.
"They will be exposed soon as the government keeps a sharp eye on their activity", he said adding that these NGOs had received huge sum of money for tsunami housing reconstruction.
