People’s Bank has donated Rs. 300 million to the Government’s Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund to finance a new multi-storey housing complex for families displaced by Cyclone Ditwah, the bank announced.
The cheque was handed over at the Presidential Secretariat by People’s Bank Chief Executive and General Manager Clive Fonseka and Chairman Prof. Narada Fernando, and received by Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The contribution forms part of the bank’s Mahajana Mehewara corporate social responsibility programme, launched to coincide with its 65th anniversary.
The funds will support the construction of three multi-storey blocks in the Nuwara Eliya District, comprising 120 housing units in total — 40 units per block. Each block is targeted for completion within six months. The project will also include access roads, parking, a wastewater treatment plant, solar lighting, a health centre, a day-care facility and a community hall.
The State Engineering Corporation has been engaged as the project designer.
Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025, caused the most extensive natural-disaster damage of recent years. Government estimates put the toll at $4.1 billion in damages, 646 deaths and approximately 2.2 million people affected, with hill-country and central districts among the worst hit.
People’s Bank is the largest state-owned commercial bank by customer base, and the donation positions it among the most significant institutional contributors to the public reconstruction effort. The Government has set a year-end USD 3.4 billion target for Cyclone Ditwah recovery, with separate task-force housing payments for affected families.
