Eng. Keerthi Ranjith Abeysiriwardhana Additional Secretary Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Housing Division 2nd Floor “Sethsiripaya” Battaramulla Sri Lanka. (+94) 11-2862225 (+94) 11-2864765 secretary@houseconmin.gov.lk

Message

The State Ministry of Rural Housing and Construction & Building Materials Industries Promotion can be introduced as a leading Ministry in formulating policies and plans related to housing and construction in Sri Lanka. The main objective of our Ministry is to actively address the housing problems of all the rural low-income earners and middle class in the country, sustainable construction and efficiently conducting the work in the field of building materials.

There are 9 statutory institutions under our Ministry to respond to the needs of the people, and the displaced persons resettlement division has also been newly added to our Ministry. The Resettlement Division gives special priority in providing housing and infrastructure facilities to Sri Lankans displaced due to war or other reasons. Further, the Housing Development Authority, one of the primary active institutions under the Ministry, regulates and directly monitors the various housing construction programs implemented to address the housing problems of rural and urban people. The other institutions under this Ministry directly work in relation to the field of construction and building.

In accordance to the policy statement ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ of His Excellency the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and with the guidance and patronage of the Hon. Prime Minister and the Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Hon. Minister Indika Anuruddha Rural Housing and Construction and Building Material Industries Promotion State Ministry.  we plan to carry out all development projects in the field of housing construction under the guidance and supervision of our Ministry during the next five years. Accordingly, priority will be given to solving the housing problems of the rural people and it is proposed to implement the policies and plans required to construct over two hundred thousand houses annually.

Under that,

• Free housing for low income families under the “Obata Geyak – Ratata Hetak” housing programme
• Comprehensive Housing Credit Scheme
• High-rise Housing Scheme
• Construction of 100 houses annually in each electorate
• Middle class housing scheme for young married couples with a bank loan subject to a 30 years repayment period
• Providing houses for middle-income earners to pay as instalments
• Free construction of houses for resettlement of displaced persons

In order to achieve the above objectives of this Ministry, a large number of competent, experienced and intelligent officers are rendering their service within the Ministry as well as the institutions under the Ministry. As a principled public officer, my objective is to provide an efficient and effective service to the public through the Ministry within the next 5 years and to take necessary steps to achieve the vision of a home and sustainable construction for all in Sri Lanka by working collaboratively with them and on the instructions of the Hon. State Minister, Indika Anuruddha.

Also, I am a Chartered Civil Engineer who was educated through free education as a citizen of Sri Lanka and as a public servant who is paid from the tax money of the people of this country, my first and foremost responsibility is to provide immediate solutions to the problems of the people, giving priority to the responsibility and duty of the people. I am responsible for making the necessary interventions, working closely with the institutions under the Ministry and making the necessary coordination. When working as the Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Housing, as a public servant with 28 years of professional experience in the private and public sector and who is transparent and free from corruption and committed to the aspirations of the people, the guidance and patronage I received from His Excellency the President, the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. State Minister of Rural Housing and Construction & Building Materials Industries Promotion is very high. I’m proud of that and appreciate it.

I am pleased to announce that the guidance and supervision of Mr. Sirinimal Perera, the Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, who is a senior officer with professional experience, has been a great strength for me to work in a Ministry that addresses the problems of the people.

I am grateful for the support rendered to me by the staff officers and the other staff of the Ministry in the process of resolving the problems of the people while prioritizing their needs.

In addition, I would like to extend my wishes to all the officers working in our Ministry and its affiliated institutions and I expect your fullest support to the progress of our Ministry.