President Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to declare open four multi-unit high-rise residential housing complexes for this purpose.

The housing complexes have been completed by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) as part of its ongoing program to relocate tenement settlements in the city under the Urban Regeneration Project.

The UDA has drawn up plans to resettle 70,000 tenement dwellers in high-rise residential units under the program. The constructions of over 20,000 housing units for them are already in place under the directions of Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, in keeping with the Mahinda Chintana Vision for the Future.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to open the "Randiya Uyana" housing scheme consisting of 1137 housing units in Hememulla on his birthday. "The projects,"Sirimuthu Watta" in Edirisinghe Watta consisting of 564 houses, Laksanda Sevana in Kolonnawa Salamulla consisting of 216 houses and "Muwadora Uyaya" with 872 houses will be handed over to the ownership of the public living in tenements by the President on November 21 and December 2 respectively.

Each housing unit is valued at Rs 8 million. Each unit has a space of over 450 square feet, two bedrooms, living area, a veranda, a kitchen and sanitary facilities. The Government has constructed sports grounds, children's parks, road networks and community halls for each housing scheme.

"The Authority plans to construct 5,000 housing units for tenement dwellers by the end of the year," sources added. (KH/PRIU)