2.Establishment of Wildlife Administration Units
Sri Lanka annually lose over 50 human lives and more than 200 wild elephants due to the human – elephant conflicts. In addition to this there is an increasing trend of human and wild life conflicts involving wild animals such as leopards, crocodiles, monkeys and other animals. The Wild Life Conservation Department is in the process of formulating plans to control this situation and to establish Wild Life Control Units in areas where these conflicts take place abundantly so that the concerned officials could take appropriate immediate action when such incidents are reported. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Sustainable Development and Wild Life Hon. Gamini Jayawickrema Perera.
3.Report of the Cabinet Subcommittee appointed to present recommendations to resettle the families being threatened in the highly landslide prone areas
The Cabinet of Ministers appointed a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Hon. Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa to study and report on the expeditiously building of suitable houses for people affected by landslides and to resettle threatened families living highly landslide prone areas. Accordingly the committee focused attention on identifying the numbers threatened by landslides, areas for resettling these threatened families, providing necessary facilities for resuscitating the families affected by landslides, re-establishment of school building and other public utilities in the threatened areas and has submitted a report in this connection. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the report submitted in this connection and to categorize its implementation on a stage wise priority basis.
4. 2017 Word Expo Exhibition – Astana in Kazakhstan
The “World Expo” exhibition is held once in two years in the prominent capitals of the world under various themes. This year this exhibition will be held under the theme of Future Energy in the city of Astana in Kazakhstan from 10th June to 10th September 2017. The government of Kazakhstan has extended an invitation to Sri Lanka to participate in this Exhibition. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen to appoint a Commissioner General to organize Sri Lanka’s participation in this Exhibition, and to provide opportunities for Sri Lanka’s small and medium scale producers of horticulture and related products and to make them involved in the Exposition through an acceptable mechanism.
5. Restructuring of Lanka Sathosa
Lanka Sathosa Limited through a bank loan of Rs. 14,078 Million imported 257,853 metric tons of rice in the month of August 2014. It has become impossible to repay this loan since the sale of rice could not be carried out as anticipated. Up to now around Rs. 5,742 Million from this loan has been repaid and another Rs. 8,754 Million is to be repaid together with the remaining interest. About Rs. 17,000 million has been spent for the import of this consignment of rice including charges port charges, demurrage, transportation charges, warehousing cost until now. It has been identified that 3,048 metric tons of rice of the remaining stock is unsuitable for human consumption. It has also being found that by the sale of the remaining stock of rice it is not possible to cover the remaining loan amount, to cover the day to day expenses of the Lanka Sathosa Institution, and to cover the required capital expenditure. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a joint proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, Hon. Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake, the Hon. Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P.Harrison and the Hon. Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrema to obtain the necessary funds from the Treasury to overcome this situation, to repay the remaining amount of the bank loan and to cover the emergency capital expenditure requirements.
6. Additional Financing for Jaffna City Region Interventions Strategic Cities Development Project
The objective of the strategic cities development Project is to develop a sustainable environmental friendly city network. Under this project steps have already been taken for the strategic development of the cities of Kandy and Galle through World Bank loan facilities. It has been identified that the City of Jaffna should also be developed under this programme. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka in this connection.
7. Allocation of block of land developed for a Tsunami Housing Scheme at Kalmunai Town to the National Housing Development Authority
The town of Kalmunai can be considered as one of the towns that were severely affected by the Tsunami Disaster of the year 2014. In a land purchased by the Urban Development Authority in this town a three storied housing complex consisting 174 housing units through a private fund contribution has been constructed and families affected by the Tsunami have been settled in this housing complex.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka to provide ownership deeds for the resident of this housing complex by the National Housing Development Authority by vesting the said housing units to National Housing Development Authority by the Urban Development Authority on a free hold basis so that the National Housing Development Authority could take necessary measures to properly manage this housing complex and thereby overcome various difficulties being faced by the residents of the said housing complex.
8.The programme of providing Rs. 20,000/- under the Nutritional Food Package for Pregnant Mothers
The government is implementing the programme of providing a nutritional food page of Rs. 20,000/- to pregnant mothers covering 6 months of the pregnant period and 4 months after the delivery of the child in order to alleviate the birth of underweight children and to sustain children with physically and mentally healthy. The government is implementing this programme since March 2015. It has been recommended to introduce a new mechanism by which the mothers could select food items of their choice. Accordingly the prospective mothers will get the opportunity of obtaining food items of their choice from a trade institution registered in the Regional Secretariat Office and this can be obtained to a maximum amount of Rs. 2,000/- a month for a period of 10 months. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Women’s and Child Affairs Mrs. Chandrani Bandara to implement this new scheme.
09. Contract for Consultancy Service for reviewing of design and construction supervision of headworks of Moragahakanda reservoir
Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga projects have been identified as important projects that help in providing water for agricultural needs, providing electricity and improving the livelihood of the residents and a considerable portion of work of these projects has been finalized. 60% of headworks of the Moragahakanda project has been finalised and it is due to be completed in March 2017. The proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to award the contract for providing consultancy services for evaluation and approval of design of above headwork and for supervision of construction works to the Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau, as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Development of infrastructures of the Universities of Kelaniya, Visual and Performing Arts, Moratuwa, Raja Rata, Sri Jayewardenapura, Colombo and University of Colombo School of Computing
It is an essential need to improve infrastructures of higher educational institutions to create professional and skilled graduates to suit development needs of the country’s economy and the international job market. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, the Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to implement 09 projects to improve infrastructures of above universities within the period of 2016-2019 with an investment of Rs. 1706.9 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Construction of an Administrative Building for the Ministry of Higher Education
Building capacity in the present premises of the Ministry of Higher Education at Ward Place, Colombo 07 is insufficient for present service requirements. The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to build a new 08 storied administrative building of 64,255 sq ft by removing a building older than 25 years, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
12. Procurement for supply, installation and after-sales services of a MRI Scanner for the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL)
The MRI scanner used in the NHSL is older than 15 years and it is required to purchase a new scanner. The proposal made by Hon. Faisal Kasim, the Acting Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to award the above tender to the lowest responsive bidder as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
13. Construction of a new building for the Divisional Secretariat, Homagama
Divisional Secretariat Homagama is the largest and the most Grama Niladhari Divisions included division among all 13 Divisional Secretary’s Divisions in the Colombo District. Its area is 11,815.5 hectares and 60,425 families reside in the area. 10000 retired public servants from an overall population of about 250,000 are in this area. The proposal made by Hon. Wajira Abeywardena, Minister of Home Affairs, to build a new 03 storied building for this secretariat at an estimated cost of Rs. 286.66 million to address the issue of shortage of space with the view of providing a more efficient service to the public, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. Construction of District Secretariat building, Mullaitivu - Stage II
Mullaitivu District of the Northern Province has been severely affected by Tsunami disaster and the ethnic conflicts. Although, many development activities are being implemented with the supervision of the District Secretariat Mullaitivu, the lack of sufficient space in the secretariat has become an obstacle in performing these tasks effectively and productively. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Wajira Abeywardena, Minister of Home Affairs, to implement the Stage II of the construction of the District Secretariat Mullaitivu at an estimated cost of Rs. 328 million, with the view of providing all services of the secretariat under one roof, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. Renovation of generators of the Victoria Power Station – Replacement of the Stator
Three generators are being used at the Victoria Power Station for over 30 years. Technicians have recommended that they should be immediately renovated in order to obtain their maximum efficiency. The proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, to award the tender for replacement of the Stator of the No. 03 generator of the Victoria Power Station to the bidder recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. Greater Colombo Wastewater Management Project – Phase 2 – Design Supervision and Management Consultants
The Government of Sri Lanka received a loan from the Asian Development Bank for the above project with the objective of improving the public health of the residents of Greater Colombo area by improving the sewerage system. The proposal made by Hon. Faiszer Musthapa, the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, to award the contract of Design Supervision and Management Consultants as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Consultancy Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. Ecosystems Conservation and Management Project
Above project that aims at strengthening the capacity of public institutions and public for development of hotspot ecosystems by demonstrate a model of human-elephant coexistence and sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, have already been approved to be implemented from 2016-2021 by the Cabinet of Ministers on a proposal made by H.E. the President in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment. The International Development Association of the World Bank has agreed to provide a loan assistance of US$ 45 million for the project. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to conduct loan negotiations and to enter into a financing agreement with the International Development Association for the implementation of this project, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
