Fowzie intervenes to protect shanty dwellers

Minister A.H.M. Fowzie has intervened to prevent more than 50 families living in shanties in a high security zone in Slave island being evicted ahead of the upcoming SAARC summit. The UDA over the weekend made an attempt to evict the families, but Minister Fowzie had prevent the move by saying that they should be relocated in the proper manner and cannot be evicted in a hurry.
The Minister said that a land is being developed for the resettlement in the Dematagoda area and the project needs to be expedited. The shanty dwellers living beside the rail track between the Slave Island and Fort have been there for more than 50 years, though the Air Force headquarters, Defence Ministry and the Army headquarters is located close by.