Cabinet Decisions

Granting citizenship to stateless persons of Chinese origin

The Cabinet has approved to a memorandum submitted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka, who is also the Internal Administration Minister, on granting citizenship to stateless persons of Chinese origin residing in Sri Lanka for a long period.

Approximately 200 persons of Chinese origin are permanently residing in Sri Lanka as stateless due to the inability of obtaining Sri Lankan citizenship under the existing law. These persons consist of from the early migrants from China during World Wars I and II as traders, dental technicians and their descendants.

Most of the early migrants have died and their descendants have been born and bred here are permanently residing in this country. Therefore the Cabinet has approved to present the grant of citizenship to persons of Chinese origin draft Act to the parliament.

Special housing projects in Ampara District

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, on the proposal for implementation of Special Housing Projects at Kalmunai and Sainthamaruthu Divisional Secretary’s Divisions in Ampara District.

Taking into consideration the urgent necessity of re-locating the tsunami affected families in transitional shelters, the Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry had taken several measures.

Irrewelikandam and Mettuwatta, 10 acres in each and 30 acres in Karawahuwatte have been identified to construct high density multi-storied housing units and G+1 town houses as the most cost-effective best solution.

Accordingly, 456 housing units at Irrawelikandam and 666 housing units at Karawahuwatte and 186 housing in Mettuwatta will be constructed by State Development and Construction Corporation and Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau.

Computerizing NIC issuing process

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka, who is also the Internal Administration Minister on the accelerated programme for computerising National Identity Card issuance Rs. 363 million (seven per cent of the total cost of the project) is expected from the World Bank. The Treasury has agreed to incur the total cost Rs. 4,830.6 million.

Fiber optic cable network along side railway track

The Cabinet has approved to a memorandum submitted by Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma on the setting up of a Fiber Optics Cable network running along-side the railway track. The present network of railway tracks stretches over a broad area of about 1,200 kilometres.

Private sector companies have made requests to place on them the setting up of Fiber Optic Cables along the railway tracks. It is scrutinised that these requests are presented in this manner basing the feasibility of building a Mass Media Technological Network covering Sri Lanka as well as the railway track and the reserve network that possess a wide scope for the purpose.

Therefore, the Cabinet has approved to lease to the private sector for setting up a Fiber Optic Cable Network as an enterprise with the coordination of the State and the Private Sectors and thereby to obtain the permission on policy for the Railways Department to fulfill its Fiber Optic Cable Network requirement by utilising railway reserves.

Integrated Water Supply Projects

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Water Supply and Drainage Minister A.L.M Athaullah on Makandura, Pannala, Kuliyapitiya integrated water supply project.

These towns are undergoing a rapid development growth with-rising of commercial and agriculture-based industrial activities. The population of the project area is about 316,000.

This project will be implemented in two stages. The first stage will be completed in 2010 and the second in 2012. Meanwhile, the Cabinet has also granted its approval to another memorandum submitted by the Minister on Dankotuwa integrated water supply project.

Dankotuwa water supply scheme extracts water from Maha Oya and the only treatment method is disinfections. It serves 3,000 people. Augmentation of the scheme is underway. The water treatment plant will serve Dankotuwa, Wennappuwa and Nattandiya.