Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-04-24

Development of means of livelihood associated with Model Villages

Under the model village programme implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Construction, the impoverished and low income families who have neither a house of their own nor a suitable plot of land for the construction of a house, is provided with a state land and a loan facility up to a maximum of Rs.500,000/- to construct a house. Under this programme, the work pertaining to 596 model villages have commenced from the year 2015 up to now and out of which 54 model villages have already been vested with the beneficiaries.

For the sustainable upliftment of this community, in addition to providing houses, it is essential to develop their income as well as their livelihood. As such, the proposal made by Hon. Sajith Premadasa, the Minister of Housing and Construction, to appoint a Steering Committee comprising of the officers of the relevant institutions for the introduction of home gardening, small scale animal husbandry, domestic industries and self employment activities in the model villages, was approved by the Cabinet.