It has been revealed that 5,879 wild elephants lived in Sri Lankan forests by the island wide elephant census conducted in 2011, and it is expected that around 6000 wild elephants currently exist. Sixty seven per cent of wild elephants in the country live in forest reserves of the Department of the Wildlife Conservation, 30% live in forest reserves of the Department of Forest Conservation and 03% live in small forests outside these reserves and wile elephants are roaming among these forests. Many of lands where wild elephants live and migrate are used by freehold land owners, unauthorized settlers and licensed cultivators. The proposal made by Hon.GaminiJayawickramaPerera, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, toestablish elephant corridors with the width of 500m and to evacuate settlers and cultivators from these corridors in stages under a method of providing them with alternative lands or compensations, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
02. AMENDMENT OF THE MOTOR TRAFFIC ACT (CHAPTER 203)
According to the provisions of the Motor Traffic Act, steps should be taken to registration of motor vehicles, transferring the ownership, issuing driving licences, insuring the safety of road users and protection of the environment. The proposal made by Hon. NimalSiripala de Silva, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to amend the Motor Traffic Act (Chapter 203) with the view of using modern technology in this regard and to discharge the duties of the Department of Motor Traffic in accordance with current needs and situations, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
03. APPROVAL TO REGULATE THE PLANE TECHNOLOGY
As the Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Act No 27 of 1980 was repealed and replaced by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No 5 of 2015, laws to regulate plain cosmetics is due to be drafted. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. RajithaSenaratne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to draft legislations required in plain cosmetics regulation, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
04. AMENDMENT TO THE POWER OF ATTORNEY ORDINANCE
The alarming increase in the incidence of land fraud has given rise to a public outcry for measures to prevent such frauds. It is necessary to amend relevant provisions in the Power of Attorney Ordinance and the Notaries Ordinance in this regard. Amendments to the Notaries Ordinance are already being drafted. A Committee of Intellectuals has been appointed to recognize the required amendments and the proposal made by Hon. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Justice, to amend the Power of Attorney Ordinance according to the recommendations of the said committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
05. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND ON RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO SEAFARERS
A Seafarer who possesses a competency certificate should obtain a certificate of recognition, to serve in a ship that flies a flag of a foreign country, which is issued by the country where the ship is registered. A convention or a MoU should be signed with relevant states to issue such a certificate. Sri Lanka has already entered into such agreements with 30 countries. Government of Switzerland has agreed to enter into such an agreement and it will help in providing the opportunity for Sri Lankan seafarers to serve in Switzerland ships. The proposal made by Hon. ArjunaRanatunga, Minister of Ports and Shipping, to enter into a MoU with Switzerland for the issue of recognition of certificates, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
06. RESETTLEMENT OF PROTRACTED DISPLACED PERSONS IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCE
Sinhalese people who lived in Northern Province came to South with the conflict developed therein and Muslims were completely driven away by the LTTE in 1990 causing a large number of people to live in other districts (mostly in Mannar and Puttalam Districts) as IDPs. As have been estimated 5,543 houses are required to resettle Sinhala families and 16,120 houses are required to resettle Muslim families and infrastructure of relevant villages should be improved. Considering the joint proposal made by Hon. RishadBathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. D.M. Swaminathan, Minister of Prison Reforms, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, and Hon. Faizer Mustafa, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, on following a suitable method for coordination, implementation and monitoring of resettlement, the Cabinet of Ministers have decided to appoint a committee chaired by H.E. the President including the Hon. Prime Minister and relevant Ministers, to make recommendations in this regard.
07. IMPROVEMENT OF FACILITIES FOR SPORTS UNDER THE "PUBUDAMU POLONNARUWA" DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
There are 241 schools operated in Polonnaruwa District of the North Central Province, and a total of 83,551 students are studying in these schools. "PubudamuPolonnaruwa" is to be implemented from 2016-2020 as a part of the "Raja Rata Navodaya" project, which is a concept of H.E. the President, with the view of carrying rural childrenwho are skilled in sports to the international level. The proposal made by Hon. DayasiriJayasekara, Minister of Sports, to implement 13 development projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 418 million, including renovation of stadiums, construction of comprehensive stadiums and pavilions in Hingurakgoda, Thamankaduwa and Dimbulagala educational divisions, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
08. CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY PROJECT – APPROVAL TO AWARD THE CIVIL WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECTION FROM KADAWATHA TO KOSSINNA (0.50 KM TO 4.54 KM)
Section I from Kossinna to Mirigama, section II from Mirigama to Kurunegala, and section III from Pothuhera to Galagedara of the Central Express Way is to be constructed. The proposal made by Hon. LakshmanKiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to award the above contract to construct its section from Kadawatha to Kossinna as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
09. SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF FURNITURE AND FITTINGS FOR THE PROPOSED GREEN UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, to award the contract for supply and installation of furniture and fittings for the proposed Green University of the NSBM which is being constructed in Pitipana, Homagama, as per the recommendations made by the Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee to the lowest responsive bidder, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COLOMBO VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE GAMPAHA TECHNICAL COLLAGE
The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, to award the contract for establishment of the Colombo Vocational Training Centre and improvement of the Gampaha Technical Collage which is implemented using the funds granted by the Import and Export Bank, Korea, to the lowest responsive bidder, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. STRATEGIC CITIES DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Sri Lanka has received a loan amount of US$ 147 million from the International Development Agency for implementation of the above project in the cities of Kandy and Galle. The proposal made by Hon. PataliChampikaRanawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to implement the following projects using a portion of that loan amount, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Rehabilitation and improvement of road section from 0+000 to 3+390 km (including the Buwelikada sharp bend) of DharmashokaMawatha (B550), Kandy.
Rehabilitation of road section from Katugastota to Madawala (0+000 to 6+250 km) of Katugastota-Madawala-Bambarella road (B205).
Rehabilitation of road section from Madawala to Digana (0+000 to 8+100 km) of Madawala-Digana Road (B256).
Rehabilitation of Meda Ela in Kandy.
12. ACCELERATED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME OF TANKS, ANICUTS AND WATER CANALS BROKEN BY RECENT FLOOD
With the recent floods confronted by Sri Lanka, 639 tanks, canals and anicuts have been destroyed and many cultivated lands including paddy and additional crops have been destroyed in Gampaha, Colombo, Kaluthara, Matale, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Monaragala, Batticaloa, Kegalle, Puttalam, NuwaraEliya, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullativu, Jaffna and Mannar Districts. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. DumindaDissanayake, Minister of Agriculture, to implement an accelerated programme to rehabilitate above tanks, canals and anicuts, to safeguard the food safety in the country, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
13. COMPLETION OF THE CENTRAL PROVINCE SPORTS COMPLEX
Rs. 212 million has been allocated by the budget 2011 on the above purpose and the task has been assigned to the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau. The construction of the pavilion of this stadium was conducted by the Central Provincial Council and as it is now in a standstill the Sports Complex cannot be vested in people. The proposal made by Hon. DayasiriJayasekara, Minister of Sports, to complete the pavilion, internal roads, landscaping and other related work at an estimated cost of Rs. 97.86 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. PROGRAMME FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES DAMAGED BY FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES IN MAY 2016
According to statistics issued by the Disaster Management Centre, 500 houses have completely damaged while 4000 houses have partially damaged in 22 districts due to recent floods and landslides caused by the bad weather conditions. The Cabinet of Ministers have assigned Hon. AnuraPriyadarshanaYapa, Minister of Disaster Management, and Hon. SajithPremadasa, Minister of Housing and Construction, to plan a suitable programme to reconstruct completely damaged houses and to renovate partially damaged houses and to submit the same to the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. MARAWILA-THALWILA SAND NOURISHMENT PROJECT (PHASE II)
The most severe coastal erosion situation in Sri Lanka is currently reported in Marawila-Thalwila and it spreads in about an area of 2 kms. It has affected the lives of residents and to the tourism industry in the area. As a measure construction of hard structures using rocks can be done but it will affect the fisheries and tourism industries. The Committee of Intellectuals have identified that sand nourishment is a sustainable measure in solving this issue. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to implement the above project using 2016 budget allocations of the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. DISPOSAL OF WASTE ACCUMULATED IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE WESTERN PROVINCE DUE TO RECENT FLOODS
A large number of furniture which has been confounded due to recent floods has been accumulated as wastes in public spaces. For the disposal of waste accumulated in KotikawattaMulleriyawa area by 30-05-2016, it has been estimated that about tractors should be deployed 470 turns. These wastes may cause health issues thus should be disposes immediately. However the Local Government Authorities have no sufficient resources to be deployed in this regard. Therefore, the joint proposal made by Hon. AnuraPriyadarshanaYapa, Minister of Disaster Management, and Hon. Faizer Mustafa, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government,to deploy 10 sets of equipments under the supervision of officers in the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Disaster Management, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ACCELERATED PROJECT FOR CLEANING CANALS IN KOLONNAWA AREA
It has been identified that as many of wetlands have been illegally reclaimed and used for illegal settlements the area has faced the flood threats. The treat has been severed by lack of maintenance in canal system that was designed for drainage as identified by the preliminary study conducted by the Department of Irrigation and Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. The flood situation could have been controlled if the canal system was duly maintained. The proposal made by Hon. AnuraPriyadarshanaYapa, Minister of Disaster Management and Hon. PataliChampikaRanawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to implement an accelerated programme to clean canals and secondary canals for preventing floods caused by the KelaniRiver, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
