Benazir Bhutto’s first dead anniversary,

Benazir Bhutto’s first dead anniversary,


Woman gather in front of a portrait of Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto at a prayer ceremony in connection with Bhutto’s first dead anniversary, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008 in Peshawar, Pakistan. Bhutto died in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27 last year as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi. (AP)

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

Religious observances were held today to commemorate the passengers who perished in the 2004 Tsunami.
The engine, along with two train compartments which were affected by the Tsunami, reached Peraliya today with the engine crew.Pics by Kithsiri de Mel

No housing still for 21,000 tsunami homeless families

With the Asian tsunami disaster marks its fourth anniversary today (Dec. 26th), an observation report by the United Nations says nearly 21,000 Sri Lankan families still remain without permanent housing,

It says only 99,414 houses, as against a requirement of 120,389 houses, have been built in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

According to this report, Hambantota - the political stronghold of President Mahinda Rajapaksa - is having 3,956 more houses built than the required number.

Kalutara, the seat of Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, has a surplus of 1,085 houses constructed, said the newspaper.

It also says 13,913 houses do not have proper sanitary and other basic facilities, while 15,561 are without an electricity supply.

Also, 21,296 houses lack an access road and 14,342 are not supplied with pipe borne water.

It has been estimated that Rs. 116,713 million is required to complete the remaining construction work of these houses.

When 'Ravaya' contacted Nation Building Ministry Secretary, he has said that the work could be finished by March next year.