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India voices concern over housing project
Why it is in news?
- India has voiced concern to Sri Lankan authorities about a housing project in the island’s Tamil-majority north and east to be executed by a Chinese company citing the Resettlement Ministry’s “lack of transparency” in choosing the builder.
- Resettlement Ministry obtained Cabinet clearance for the project, which involves China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Co. Ltd and its local representative, to construct 40,000 prefabricated concrete houses in the island’s war-affected areas.
- The Indian mission has not commented on the issue formally but sources in Colombo confirmed that top officials had flagged the issue in government and political circles.
- They particularly raised the “opaque” manner in which the Ministry finalised the project, apparently “excluding” experienced companies from India that would have been interested.
- India has been a key player in post-war housing in Sri Lanka.
- Its owner-driven scheme of 46,000 homes across the north and east is nearly complete.
- Additionally, it is building 14,000 houses in the central highlands which is home to several thousand tea estate workers whose ancestors hailed from India and 1,200 houses in the Southern Province.
- The projects are being executed with a grant totalling nearly $400 million.
Source of funding
- According to the official data as many as 1,65,000 houses are required in the north and east, where thousands of families lost all their property in the incessant and indiscriminate shelling during the protracted civil war.
- Locals have sought brick-and-mortar housing that are suitable for their warm climatic conditions, and have been pushing for initiatives that will generate local employment.
Source
The Hindu