Cabinet decisions

Introduction of new trade crops

The Cabinet has approved to a memorandum submitted by Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena on the project for introducing new trade crops. Rs. 3.0 million has been allocated for this project.

Objective of this project is to improve the living standards of Mahaweli farmers through introducing certain commercial agricultural crops in addition to the traditional agriculture.

Accordingly crop varieties such as dragon fruit, grapes and jatropa with higher demand in the local and foreign markets will be introduced and the project is to be implemented with the Mahaweli Authority, Department of Agriculture, Agrarian Development Department and the private sector.

Cultivation demonstrations, establishment of nurseries and free distribution of seeds, planting materials and similar inputs for selected farmers will be provided through officials of the relevant departments.

SEC land to be developed

The Cabinet has approved to a memorandum submitted by Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne to develop a part of land at Peliyagoda belonging to State Engineering Corporation (SEC), which owns 28 acres of land here.

The main stores, central workshops, concrete batching plant are located on part of this land. Earlier, it was decided by the Cabinet to sell a 4-acre land to Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited at a Rs.1.7 million per perch to overcome the liquidity crisis of the SEC.

However, with the formation of the new Ministry of Construction and Engineering Services it was felt that a better option to tide over the liquidity crisis would be to make a concerted effort to collect the over dues and to plan a more integrated development of this land as joint ventures with the SEC rather than outright sale of the land. The Ministry has prepared a conceptual plan of joint ventures.

Accordingly Star-class city hotel, service apartments, mega shopping complex, hospital with nursing school, container parking and a training centre for youth to secure employment in foreign countries will be constructed.