Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop of Mangalore, laid the foundation stone for a house at Neermarga on Sunday.
The house is the first of 160 houses to be built for the poor as part of the celebrations for the Post-centenary Silver Jubilee this year of the Diocese of Mangalore. The recipient of the first house is Diana D'Souza, who has two minor sons and has lost her husband two months ago. The Mangalore diocese, in collaboration with St.Anne Church, Kelarai, will help Ms. D'Souza in building the house under Kelari parish.
Of the houses proposed to be built, 100 will be in Dakshina Kannada, 48 in Udupi and 12 in Kasargod
“We hope to finish the houses by February next year,” said Fr. Onil D'Souza, Director, Canara Organisation for Development and Peace (CODP), a non-governmental organisation. Mr. D'Souza said that the land for the houses will be in the name of the beneficiaries. While the diocese will help beneficiaries finance the construction of the houses, beneficiaries may contribute whatever they can in the form of labour and money for their houses. Though the process has begun, most beneficiaries are yet to be identified . A meeting is being planned to discuss the housing project, which will be launched formally in the first week of August, said Mr. Onil D'Souza.
Sushil Noronha, Secretary of Jubilee Committee, said that each parish was identifying beneficiaries through its committees.
The plan is to complete the project before the finale of the post centenary silver jubilee in February of next year, he said.
Central pool
Mr. Onil D'Souza said that a central pool is planned from where each family will receive the funds. Meanwhile, the Bishop has appealed to donors to patronise the project.
Denis Moras, Vicar General; Fr. John Vas, Parish Priest; and William D'Souza, Partner, Souza Group of Companies, the first sponsor for the housing project, were present on the occasion.
