02. Cultivation of vegetables during the off-season, provision of vegetable saplings at a concessionary price and to provide vegetable seeds and saplings for small scale cultivation lands under a 50% concessionary scheme
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Irrigation and Agricultue Duminda Dissanayake to introduce measures to control the increase of vegetable prices and to maintain a fixed vegetable price throughout the year and to promote vegetable cultivation in home gardens and to provide a pot of vegetable plants at a concessionary price of Rs. 25/= instead of distributing vegetable seedlings and saplings, and to encourage farmers to cultivate vegetable as a commercial cultivation in plots of land up to ½ an acre by providing their seed requirements at a concessionary rate.
03. Distribution of fertilizer subsidy for cultivation of paddy in the 2015 Yala Season
The Fertilizer subsidy being provided to the farmers have contributed to reap a higher paddy harvest. It is planned to cultivate 540,000 hectares with paddy in the 2015 Yala Season and the estimated fertilizer requirement of this cultivation is 162,733 metric tons. Taking into consideration of this matter, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Irrigation and Agricultue Duminda Dissanayake to implement the Fertilizer subsidy in the 2015 Yala Season as well, and to make arrangements to purchase this fertilizer requirement ensuring the high standard quality of fertilizer.
04. Provision of facilities to store farm products of the Dry Zone farmers and implementation of a Financing Project to obtain loans by keeping as surety the stocks of farm products that have been stored
Construction of warehouse facilities have been started in the districts of Anuradhapura, Moneragala and Mannar under World Bank funding to establish a new mechanism to provide financial assistance to Dry Zone farmers by providing high standard warehousing facilities and thereby obtain a higher income during the off-season than the prices they could get for their products during the harvesting periods.
At present the construction work of the first warehouse of the Anuradhapura District in the Galenbindunuwewa Divisional Secretariat Division under this programme has been completed. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake to appoint the District Secretary of Anuradhapura as the authorized official of this project and to enter into a management agreement with the Regional Development to implement this project.
05. Provision of nutritious food to the value of Rs. 20,000/= to pregnant mothers
It has been planned to implement from 21st March, 2015 under the Healthy Maternal Programme as proposed in the budget speech of 2015, which is part of the government’s 100 days programme. Accordingly,
- All pregnant mothers who have registered in the government’s maternal clinics and who regularly attend clinics will get this proposed concession on doctor’s recommendation
- Nutritious food worth Rs. 2,000/= per month will be provided under this programme to pregnant mothers during the last 6 months of pregnancy and for the first 4 months after the delivery of the child.
- The Divisional Secretaries with the assistance of the Doctors and Family Health officials serving in the Maternal Clinics will implement this programme under the supervision of the District Secretaries/Government Agents under the steering of the State Ministry of Children’s Affairs
The Cabinet of Ministers approved this proposal made by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Policy Formulation, Economic Affairs, Children Affairs, Youth and Cultural Affairs Ranil Wickremsinghe.
06. Extension of the validity period of the Memorandum of Understanding reached with the Government of India on maintaining of the project relating to the provision of marketing facilities for women entrepreneurs built in the Batticaloa district and on maintaining the Connuiuty Education Centre
Under a Memorandum of Understanding reached with the Government of India the above reference project started in the year 2010, various entrepreneur development training programs are being implemented in the Batticaloa district for the welfare of women who were affected by the war. This programme is strengthening the women economically and socially. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal made by the Minister of Women’s Affairs K.D.M.Chandrani Bandara to extend the validity period of this Memorandum of Understanding until 30th June, 2016.
07. Obtaining Indian Government‘s Small Scale Project Development assistance for the construction of a performance theatre with all modern facilities and an auditorium for the Ruhunu University
Government of India has agreed to provide as a Grant a sum of Rs. 300 Million out of the estimated cost of Rs. 336 Million for the construction of a performance theatre will all modern facilities and seating capacity and an auditorium for the Ruhunu University which has 46 educational faculties and provide higher educational facilities to about 7,320 under graduates.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Highways, Higher Education, and Investment Promotion Kabeer Hashim to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian government in this connection.
08. Proposed Pension Scheme for the Foreign employed personnel under the government’s expeditious 100 days programme
The government expects to establish under its 100 days programme a Social Security Fund for Employers, foreign employed personnel, and to the foreign employed personnel under the contribution of the government. Under this programme it is being planned to provide concessions to domestic servants who work under dangerous conditions, unskilled workers, and for all foreign employed personnel.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Minister of Foreign Employment Mrs. Thalata Atukorale to call for proposals for formulating this proposed Pension Scheme by appointing a committee comprising representatives from government officials, the Foreign Employment Bureau, and Ratawiruwo Organization,
09. Port City Development Project
The Interim Report submitted by committee appointed to review and submit recommendation to the Cabinet Sub Committee on the above referenced project has stated that they have noted that the project has been started and being implemented without relevant approvals from the concerned institutions. Taking into consideration the recommendations of this Interim Report the Cabinet of Ministers has approved to temporarily and immediately suspend the implementation of the project and to advise the relevant project company to present within a period of 2 weeks the approvals that had been obtained from the relevant institutions for the implementation of the project. This proposal to the Cabinet of Ministers has been made by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe.
