KUCHING: Thirty-three households in Batu Kitang constituency will soon benefit from the House Repair for the Poor programme which enters its second phase under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government’s assistance for the needy.
Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang (pic) said under the first phase of the programme, 35 houses in the Batu Kitang area were repaired while eight are in the midst of receiving the aid.
He added that the idea mooted by the Chief Minister to which a committee was set up funded by the Sarawak government under its minor rural projects (MRP) is aimed at expediting project implementation to benefit the people, especially needy households that need proper and safe houses to live in.
Hence, the committee is assisted by village chiefs to identify needy families for the aid.
Lo, who is also Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman, disclosed that the committee with the assistance of the community leaders had identified more needy households in the constituency, and the aids will be given in the second phase.
He said this during a visit to the newly constructed multi-purpose hall of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church at Kampung Semeba, yesterday.
The aid recipients are in Kampung Betong, Kampung Bukit Panchur Kampung Tematu, Kampung Sandong, Kampung Batu Kitang and houses along Jalan Batu Kitang who were not featured in the first phase of the programme implement earlier this year.
He also noted that the aid recipients would each receive an allocation of RM15,000 to repair their house.
Lo added that the recipients were registered under e-Kasih and are households under the B40 group.
“The allocation is not to rebuild a nice house for them, as it is only enough for the needy to make ends meet and repair the necessary things as we want to use the allocation to its fullest and making the money worthwhile for everybody.
“With RM15,000 we can repair leaking roofs, house columns that are rotten, wooden floor slabs that need replacement and new toilets,” he said.
He also pointed out that there are a few houses without basic amenities and the allocation will be used to address such problems faced by the needy households.
“We will continue to strive to provide assistance to needy families by providing the basics first. Only then can we do more in improving their lifestyles,” Lo said.
