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| Minister of Housing & Lands Hon. Asraf Dulull visiting the exhibition along with Ag Lord Mayor Jocelyn Gracieuse (L.) |
GIS - Oct 03: To commemorate the World Habitat Day 2006, the Minister of Housing and Lands, Mr. Asraf Dulull, launched on October 2 an exhibition on 'Evolution of Settlements in Town and their peripheries' at the Municipal Council of Port Louis.
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| This exhibition is in line with the theme adopted by the United Nations for this year' World Habitat Day, 'Cities, Magnets of Hope'. The chosen theme intends to remind all stakeholders that the world is currently witnessing the greatest migration of people into towns and cities. According to UN statistics, the population of cities throughout the world is estimated at six billion. | |  |
| In his opening address, Mr. Dulull spoke of the threefold expansion in population undergone by towns in Mauritius resulting from amendments brought to municipal boundaries and internal migration. He noted with satisfaction that Mauritius has been spared of slum dwellings thanks to the various commitments taken by the government to provide adequate housing with basic services to the people. Funds disbursed by the government to assist families in improving their living conditions comprise Rs 1,038 billion for casting of roof slabs, Rs 26.7 million for second housing units and Rs 4.1 million for building materials. | |  |
| The minister also spoke about the decentralisation of administrative and economic activities as one of the key elements of Government programme. Government is committed to lay the foundations for a decentralized Mauritius wherein the whole country, towns and villages will have the capabilities and opportunities to develop more harmoniously, he added. | |  |
