Good progress in India assisted housing plan in Sri Lanka: P Chidambaram

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said there was "satisfactory progress" in the India assisted programme of constructing and repairing 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka.

By December 31 last year, construction of 10,250 houses was completed under the programme of building houses for the internally displaced persons in the northern province of Sri Lanka, Chidambaram said in a statement.

"Another 27,750 houses will be constructed under the same scheme. The funds are being released directly to the beneficiaries. Also, 5,000 houses were being repaired", the statement added.

For the Indian-origin Tamils working in tea plantation, 4000 houses will be built in the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka.

In July 2012, work for building 1000 houses was completed as part of a pilot project, he said.