News
Agriculture Ministry allocates Rs 430 mn to cultivate 12,500 acres of fallow lands
By Ifham Nizam
The Agriculture Ministry yesterday decided to allocate Rs.430 million to cultivate 12,500 acres of mainly fallow paddy fields this Maha season.
Agriculture Ministry studies reveal that, at present, the amount of fallow fields in the country, that can be re-cultivated but has been left uncultivated for almost five years, is nearly 47,000 acres.
However, another 50,000 acres have become fallow fields but cannot be used for replanting.
The Ministry of Agriculture has started a programme to re-cultivate fallow fields. According to the instructions of Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, the Department of Agrarian Development has allocated Rs. 430 million in the current year to replant fallow fields.
Amaraweera says that the goal is to replant all 47,000 acres that have become fallow fields, year after year, using government funds.
Most of the fallow fields that can be cultivated, but left uncultivated, are found in the Western Province.
The Department of Agricultural Development provides free of charge the necessary technology, financial allocations, and seeds, and other inputs, for cultivation, to the unemployed youth community, to cultivate the fallow fields that have been left uncultivated.
The Department of Agricultural Development has also been instructed to use this amount of Rs. 430 million for the renovation of dilapidated canals, feeding those paddy fields, preparation of embankments, and removal of the weeds covering those rice fields.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
Implementing the programme to provide concession for pepper, coffee and cardamom plantations affected by the disaster
Cabinet nod to obtain diagnostic reports under public-private partnership
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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