Decisions taken by the Cabinet at its Meeting held on 2012-07-25

1.The National Action Plan for the implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation (LLRC) –

•The Report of the LLRC which was handed over to H.E. the President in mid November      2011,  was placed before Parliament in mid December 2011. The LLRC had made 285 recommendations which include many sub-recommendations and they have been classified into four main groups as follows:

* Recommendations relating to National Policy;
* Recommendations pertaining to the final phase of the conflict;
* Recommendations related to human rights
  and National security concerns; and
* Recommendations related to resettlement and development.

•The Cabinet of Ministers appointed a Task Force headed by the Secretary to the President to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the LLRC and an Action Plan prepared for implementation, submitted by H.E. the President, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Financial provision required for the implementation of the Action Plan will be provided by the General Treasury, depending on the requirement and within the stipulated time frame. Funds for the purpose from 2013 onwards too will be provided by the General Treasury to the respective Institutions.

02.Acceleration of construction work of Hambantota Safari Park and modernization of the quarry and Drainage System in Dehiwala Zoological Gardens –

•The construction of a Safari Park at Hambantota was initiated with the view to providing a novel experience to both foreign and local tourists. The proposal made by Hon. Basil Rajapakse, Minister of Economic Development, to entrust the construction work as well as the supply of water, electricity etc. to State institutions and to incur the required expenditure for the above from the annual provisions granted for construction work under the Zoological Garden's Fund, was approved by the Cabinet.

03.Upgrading the Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna–

•The proposal made by Hon. S.B. Dissanayake, Minister of Higher Education, to upgrade the Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna at a project cost of Rs.28.85 million with funds to be provided under the Medium Term Budgetary Framework 2012•2014, was approved by the Cabinet.

04.Construction Activities of the Programme of Developing 1000 Secondary Schools with a network of 5000 Primary Schools–

•On the proposals made by Hon.Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Education for the implementation of the above programme, with the view to providing better educational facilities to students throughout the country in keeping with the policy of the Government, Cabinet approval was granted for the following:

o to commence implementation of the above programme as decided upon by the Ministries of Finance and Planning; Economic Development; and Education, utilizing the sum of Rs.2500 million allocated for this programme in the 2012 budget;

o action be taken to provide electricity, water, sanitation facilities and attend to other renovation work, identified on a priority basis, in the selected schools, through School Development Societies;

o to provide science, computer, language, mathematics laboratories in identified secondary schools;

o to recruit sufficient number of teachers for subjects such as Mathematics, Science, English    Language, Information Technology and Sports etc., for schools where vacancies occur and action to be taken to enhance training facilities for such teachers; and

o to entrust the construction works to suitable contractors in the respective areas selected on the recommendations of the respective District Secretaries and for the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) to provide the necessary consultancy services for these construction works.

05.Establishment of the Department of Divi Neguma Combined Rural Development –

•Cabinet approval has already been granted for the Establishment of the above Department, amalgamating the Department of the Samurdhi Commissioner General, Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority, Department of Upcountry Peasantry Rehabilitation, Sri Lanka Udarata Development Authority and the Sri Lanka Southern Development Authority, with the view to accelerating the development activities of the Governrnerit. The proposal made by Hon. Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development, to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft legislation for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.

06.Exportation of Rice and Paddy –

•The proposal made by H.E. the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and Planning, to impose a minimum price on the exportation of Paddy and Rice, until the production of Maha Season 2012 / 2013 is harvested, so that an adequate stock of rice in the country at affordable prices could be ensured until the paddy production of Maha Season is yielded and supplied to the market and to submit the relevant Gazette Notification pertaining to the regulations imposed in terms of the provisions of the Import and Export Control Act No.O 1 of 1969, was approved by the Cabinet. At present the Government is processing a paddy stock of approximately 240,260 MT. purchased by the Paddy Marketing Board and another stock of 59,786 MT. purchased by the District Secretariats and the total investment by the Government for this stock of paddy is Rs.4,115 million. The Government has also granted RsA,750 million to the State Banks as a facility for the purchase of paddy. The rice varieties produced exclusively for the purpose of exporting to the foreign market will not be affected by implementation of the above proposal.

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