The Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, in line with the Clean Sri Lanka programme, launched the “Beautiful House - Developed Family ( සොඳුරු නිවසක් - විකසිත පවුලක් )” estate line houses renovation project on 06th July at the OpataWatta in Kahawatta area.

This project is carried out by the Ministry of plantation and community infrastructure, together with its partners, to uplift the Malayagam community, which is engaged in the country’s tea plantation sector, as part of the Clean Sri Lanka national program aimed at creating a beautiful island and prosperous population.

The project aims not only to develop the plantation sector but also to improve the living standards and safety of the Malayagam community, who cultivate tea and other crops in the highlands.

Under this state line houses renovation project, activities include cleaning and painting the houses, plastering walls and floors, removing damaged roofing sheets and replacing them or completely renovating the roof, cleaning and tidying the surroundings through volunteers, renovation of drainage systems, providing postal addresses for each house with the co-operation of the Postal Department, confirming mail delivery to each house by postal officers  and facilitating the issuance of birth and marriage certificates for the people who do not have them in collaboration with the Divisional Secretariat and Additional Dirstrict Registrars.

The project also plans to conduct awareness programs in various formats to bring about transformative change by developing the mindset and educational level of the Malayagam community.

As the first phase, 75 state house lines and 1,072 families related to the plantation sector in the districts of Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Ratnapura, Matara, Kalutara, Galle, Kegalle, and Monaragala have been selected, with plans to expand the project to these districts in the future.

The project has received a financial contribution of Rs. 112 million from exporters, trade unions, and institutions involved in the Tea Plantation sector, coordinated by the Sri Lanka Tea Board.

At the inaugural event held at OpataWatta in the Kahawatta area of Ratnapura District, the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Mr. Samantha Vidyaratna, Deputy Minister, Mr. Sundaralingam Pradeep, Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Prabath Chandrakeerthi, handed over the required raw materials for renovations to the plantation authority. In addition to that the Department of Persons Registration collected the information of the people living in Opatawatta to provide National Identity Cards for those who do not have them.