COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapakse assured via a satellite transmission to take prompt steps to solve the housing problem of more than 100 families who were displaced due to the tsunami and were demonstrating opposite the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat during the past few days.

Following a discussion the protesting demonstrators had with President over the satellite, the solutions as required by the crowd were agreed upon. They then gave up the agitation. Accordingly, the President directed the authorities to acquire a further five acres of land in addition to the five acres already reclaimed to expand the housing project.

The President also directed his Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to despatch necessary allocations to the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat and appointed a committee comprising three nominees by the President and two by the protesters to supervise the activities.

The President further instructed the officials of the Tsunami Housing Reconstruction Unit to proceed to Kalmunai taking with them the documents relating to acquisition and land reclamation to complete the project within three months.
The President's Secretary, the Secretary to the Urban Development Ministry, the Chairman of the Reconstruction and Development Institute and several other officials were associated with the President.