Estate housing projects receive Cabinet sanction

Nadira Gunatilleke and Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to complete construction work of estate housing projects.

Work of 4,132 houses have already been completed while construction of another 4,089 houses have been completed up to roof level, Cabinet spokesman and Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Information Department yesterday, Yapa said the construction of these 4,089 houses have come to a standstill due to lack of roofing sheets.

Cabinet approval has been granted to purchase 181,924 roofing sheets at Rs. 250 million. Services and funds will be obtained from the Plantation Human Development Trust to purchase and distribute roofing sheets. A total of 10,530 estate houses are to be built within this year.

Cabinet also endorsed a memorandum submitted by Urban Development and Water Supply Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to commence the Dehiaththakandiya water supply scheme at Rs. 411 million.

The project will commence in 2007 and will be completed by 2009. Rs. 132 million will be spent on the first phase of the project while another Rs. 279 million will be spent for the second phase. A total of 20,000 people of Dehiaththakandiya will receive clean drinking water through this water supply scheme.

The project within the Dehiaththakandiya Pradeshiya Sabha in the Ampara District, Eastern Province was initially designed and constructed by the Mahaweli Authority in 1984 and the people living in the town area obtained water from this scheme while people live in suburbs obtained drinking water from other sources such as canals.

The area is contaminated with high percentage of fluoride, which is one of the main cause of kidney diseases, he said.

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India, Sri Lanka to set up Electricity transmission interconnection

Nadira Gunatilleke and Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: An electricity transmission interconnection is to be set up between Sri Lanka and India for the exchange of power between the two countries.

"The proposal which was in contemplation since 1970 received the approval of the Cabinet on Wednesday," Cabinet Spokesman Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing, Yapa said that the programme has been planned as part of the technical assistance provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

"The feasibility study of the project was conducted in 2002. The construction of a high voltage direct current link from Madurai to Anuradhapura is considered the preferred option". The tentative cost of the project as per the initial studies is US $ 430 million for a long term link and US $ 340 for a short term link.

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Cabinet decisions

COLOMBO:The Government Publication Bureau is to be shifted from its present location to Highlevel Road. The Cabinet has approved the obtaining of a building for the Bureau for two years.

A new premises is to be built for the Pre-clinical Department of the Medical Faculty of the Kelaniya University at a cost of Rs 216 million.

A committee chaired by Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera will be appointed to discuss proposals to revise the tax agreements of the People's Estate Development Boards and provincial plantation companies.