Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has recently spoken of achieving certain targets set by him, especially with regard to handing over deeds of house ownership to people.

Ranatunga had noted that he would continue with the programme since his target was to hand over 50,000 deeds to families this year. The Minister had made this statement in response to President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka’s statement that Ranatunga was carrying out the programme of handing over house ownership deeds to families without troubling the President or his office.

Ranatunga had further noted that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had spent billions of rupees in order to provide housing for people. “I will somehow achieve the target set on handing over deeds,” the Minister had added.

Ranatunga has made this statement during an event at the Presidential Secretariat recently to present deeds to families living in flats in Colombo. President Ranil Wickremesinghe chaired the event.

Addressing the gathering, Wickremesinghe had spoken of the arson attacks on his residence and that of Ranatunga on 9 July 2022 and 9 May 2022, respectively. The President had said that he had understood the value of a house when his house had been burnt down. “Prasanna and I don’t have our houses anymore,” the President had said.

“A house is not merely a place where you eat, drink and sleep. It is filled with memories like a museum,” the Minister had said.