Sri Lanka's Tamil lawmakers today clashed in Parliament over prefabricated houses being constructed for those affected by the three-decade long civil war in the country's north and east.
The main Tamil party - Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - Parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran demanded the resignation of D M Swaminathan, the Minister of Prison Reforms, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, for going ahead with the prefabricated houses despite several concerns raised.
"I will say it again we have no confidence in minister Swaminathan," Sumanthiran said.
Sumanthiran said that he had submitted proposals to construct permanent houses for the war displaced people at a lower cost but the minister had disregarded the proposal.
The firm Arcelor-Mittal was to build 65,000 prefabricated houses at a cost of Rs 2.1 million each but the TNA argues that more suitable houses can be built for around Rs 850,000.
TNA and opposition leader R Sampanthan said the people in the North need permanent houses and not prefabricated houses.
"Why are you trying to build houses at double the cost?," he asked.
Sumanthiran reiterated the TNA position that prefabricated houses were not suitable.
He said that a financier of the UNP of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the local agent of the firm.
In a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, the TNA had pointed to the unsuitability of the proposed prefabricated houses.
Defending his decision, Swaminathan said the suitability of the prefabricated houses have been tested and proved fine.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe who intervened in the cross talk assured that the government would further discuss the issue with all parties concerned.
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