Cabinet Decisions

New administrative building complex at Sethsiripaya stage II

The Cabinet granted approval to a Memorandum submitted by Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to select suitable consultants and appoint them to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), as the constructors of the administrative complex at Battaramulla Sethsiripaya stage II project. The selection will be by the Ministry in consultation with the UDA.

The proposed Stage II of Sethsiripaya Administrative Complex is a 13 storied (ground floor + 12 floors) building with an approximately floor area of 300,000 square feet to be constructed to accommodate Government institutions occupying rented out premises in Colombo.

Consultation is sought for structural, electrical, water supply sewerage and drainage, air conditioning, telecommunication and information communication technology, fire protection and quantity surveying. UDA is the architectural design consultant for the proposed building project.

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KDA renamed General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University

The Cabinet granted approval to a Memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Minister of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order to publish the amended Bill of Kotelawala Defence Academy in the Government Gazette and to present it in the Parliament for approval.

As per the meeting on March 8, 2006 the Cabinet approved to refer the General Sir John Kotelawala Act No. 68 of 1981 to the legal Draftsman to re-name General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy as General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and to make such changes to be effective.

Accordingly, the Attorney General has confirmed that the Draft Bill of Kotelawala Defence Academy amended by the Legal Draftsman is in conformity to the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka.

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Matara- Kataragama Railway Line

The Cabinet granted approval to a memorandum submitted by Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to allow additional parties to submit proposals for the Stage 1 of the construction of Matara- Kataragama railway line.

The Following foreign parties will also be included in the short list to call for proposals for the stage 1 of Matara-Kataragama Railway Extension Project.

Hamilton Construction in Alaska, USA; Fuji Ryustu Corporation in Japan;

Daewoo Engineering Company in Korea; Han matrix Co. Ltd in Korea; Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Services Ltd. and Greatwall Consultancy, India.

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50,000 houses

for war heroes

The Cabinet granted approval to a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order to the construction of 50,000 houses for war heroes.

Construction and sale of houses for war-heroes who render a yeoman service by protecting the country, has been identified by the Government as a scheme to be completed on a priority basis. As the initial step of this project, a township which consists of 1,620 houses is being constructed at Ipalogama, Anuradhapura.

In addition to the construction, some other organisations have submitted project proposals for the construction of these houses.

Subsequent to the handing over of the township completed with houses and other facilities, it is proposed that the Government will take action to repay the cost to institutions through the process of recovering such cost from the house holders with an interest on concessionary rates within 20 years which will commence after a grace period of five years.