Sri Lanka Government has taken pragmatic measures increasing funding towards developing urban areas to promote urban share of the population which is well below the standard level.
The National Physical Plan 2007-2030, there are several Metro Regions, which are urban areas without defined boundaries.
Several areas, are considered as urban, under the purview of respective state institutions including Urban Development Authority- 23 Municipal Councils (MC), 41 Urban Councils (UC) and Urban Pradeshiya Sabhas (UPS), Nuwara Eliya District, Trincomalee District, and 1-km wide Coastal Belt.
Cumulative Government expenditure in the first four months of 2019 for the development of urban facilities amounted to Rs. 8,325 million of which Rs. 8,017 million was under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and Rs. 308 million was under the Ministry of City Planning Water Supply and Higher Education.
Township Development in areas such as Kalmunai, Valachchnai, Thalaimannar and Sammanthurai which is a new project implemented through a budget proposal in 2019 under the Ministry of City Planning Water Supply and Higher Education.
Housing development under the theme of “Shelter for All” is undertaken by several ministries. These housing development programmes supplemented further through subsidized loans and grants.
The total allocation for the Housing Development in 2019 is around Rs. 34,460 million and Rs. 11,612 million was incurred in the first four months of 2019 and nearly, 47,500 houses were constructed.
(LI)