Import of ministerial vehicles halted

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the Government has decided to stop importation of vehicles for all government institutions including the Ministries this year in view of recent flood harvoc and landslides caused due to bad weather, Presidential Secretariat said. 

Speaking at a special discussion with the National Council for Disaster Management held yesterday, President Sirisena instructed the officials to rapidly implement the programme to construct the houses destroyed due to the flooding and landslides.

Government will take steps to reconstruct 640 completely destroyed houses and with the assistance of the members of the Tri-Forces and Civil Defence Force, National Housing Development Authority, as well as to renovate another 5,329 partially  destroyed houses with the assistance of Ministry of Vocational Training.

He also instructed the officials to submit a comprehensive report regarding the details of all the roads, schools, electricity supply systems and health service providing institutions which have been destroyed due to the flooding and landslides and pledged to take speedy solutions in this regard.

Further, President Sirisena instructed the officials to identify lands located beyond the landslide-prone areas to construct new houses and further emphasized not to resettle the people in Conservation areas making them illegal settlers.

President also said that all the decisions, taking in this regard should not take to gain narrow political agendas, as well as those decisions should be long-lasting policy decisions for the betterment of the country.  

The Government has decided to grant compensation for all deceased persons and the President pointed out till the present Government came into the power, only Rs.15,000  has given as death compensation for each person and the present government has increased that amount to Rs.100,000. The President told the officials to look into the possibilities of providing special benefits to the family members of the deceased persons.