Cabinet Decisions

Sympathetic Allowance for Dependents of assassinated MPs

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to pay a sympathetic allowance to the widows and children of parliamentarians recently assassinated by the LTTE, T. Maheswaran and D.M. Dassanayake, the late Minister of Nation Building. Accordingly, these families will each be provided with Rs. 5 million.

Two-wheel hand tractors for farmers

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena to provide two-wheel tractors to farmers at an estimated price of Rs. 165,000, which is 30 per cent of the total value.

The beneficiaries will be required to pay Rs. 25,000 initially with the balance to be paid within three years in 30 instalments.

This proposal was submitted following Japan agreeing to allocate 200 hand tractors to Sri Lankan farmers. Four hundred tractors have already arrived. The balance will arrive this month.

Contractors for Kandy District road rehabilitation

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to invite bids from six selected contractors under Emergency Procurement Procedure to award contracts immediately and thereby expedite the rehabilitation of all roads in Kandy city, following a Presidential directive to complete the work before the commencement of the SAARC Summit, to be held from July 27 to August 2.

The approach road to the Buddhist Centre in Pallekele, the Circular Road around the Nuwara Wewa, the approach roads to the major hotels in Kandy, the Getambe-Gannoruwa Road, and the Colombo-Kandy Road will be rehabilitated. In addition, Willian Gopallawa Mawatha will be turned into a 4-lane road while 8 overhead bridges will be constructed in Kandy town.

The six companies invited to bid are: Maga Engineering Ltd., Sierra Construction (Pvt) Ltd., Consulting Engineers and Contractors Ltd., K.D.A. Weerasinghe and Co. Ltd., International Construction Consortium Ltd., and CML Edwards Co. Ltd.

Asian Development Bank funded national highway sector project

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to awarded the contract for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Ambepussa-Kurunegala-Trincomalee Road (A-006) from Habarana to Kantale to International Construction Consortium -China Harbour JV for Rs. 2,407,885,241.90 (without VAT).

Consultants for building complex for the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Public Administration Minister Karu Jayasuriya to obtain the services of the Project Consultancy Unit of the Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa, for the building complex at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA).

New Playground for Avissawella

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to assign the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau the task of turfing the ground and embankment and putting in place the drainage system for the development of a playground at Avissawella (Penrith Estate)

The first two phases, consisting of land development work including earth-cutting, rock-blasting, clearing and levelling have been completed.