News
NPP makes bid to mitigate human-elephant conflict
Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister A.H.M.H. Abayarathna, said that the Government projects would be implemented in the Puttalam district to mitigate the human-elephant conflict.
The Minister said so during a discussion conducted to raise awareness of such projects among public officers, including those of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Approval of the government has been received for several projects proposed by the Coordinating Committee, Puttalam district. These projects mainly focus on developing areas for food and catchment areas that wild elephants need. The Minister pointed out that by preventing elephants from invading villages by way of cleaning and restoring tanks and catchment areas in protected areas, nearby parks and forests, and also growing various types of grass that are essential food for wild elephants in identified areas, it is possible to ensure that wild elephants roam only in forest areas. Accordingly, approval has been granted to the project for restoring the Galwila Park, Putalam, the Minister said.
The spread of the Kalapu Andara (Prosopis juliflora) plant in the Galwila Park, which was established in 2020, and water sources getting contaminated and becoming unusable have led to wild elephants and other wild animals coming close to or into human settlements.
Minister Abayarathna pointed out that wild elephants can be prevented from entering villages by restoring the grasslands and catchment areas in the Galwila Park. Accordingly, the minister instructed the relevant parties to remove Kalapu Andara plants that have spread throughout the Galwila Park and cultivate grasslands and also to develop catchment areas as soon as possible. The Minister stated that these measures will not only create an environment in which wild elephants can live freely but also boost tourism as an extension of the project.
With the objective of promoting the tourism industry in Sri Lanka, approval was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 21-07-2025 to implement a programme to issue free tourist visas, for a period of six months, without charging fees, to passport holders of 39 selected countries.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to submit, for the concurrence of the Parliament, the draft regulations prepared by the Legal Draftsman for the issuance
of free tourist visas in terms of the provisions of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act.
In terms of a proposal presented in the 2025 Budget, approval was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18-08-2025 to implement the ‘programme to provide financial assistance for securing housing facilities for low-income couples transitioning from institutional care to society’.
Through the 2026 Budget proposals, the said programme has been further strengthened by allocating a sum of LKR 2,000 million to provide financial assistance of up to LKR 2 million per beneficiary who have resided in child development centres at any stage of their lives and have subsequently reintegrated into society, as well as for families with children at risk for purchasing land, purchasing land and constructing a house, constructing a house on owned land, purchasing a house, or renovating an existing house.
Accordingly, based on the formulated eligibility criteria and the
mechanism for disbursement of financial assistance, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs to provide such financial assistance to the following beneficiary groups:
• Individuals below 45 years of age who have left institutional care upon reaching 18 years of age or earlier, and who do not have access to a stable and secure residence.
• Families with children who are in vulnerable and at-risk situations due to the lack of a proper family background or stable livelihood, resulting in the absence of adequate housing or living in unsafe housing conditions.
• Children aged between 16 and 18 years who are currently under institutional care, and young persons over 18 years of age who continue to remain in child development centres due to their inability to reintegrate into society
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development to impose the necessary legal provisions to prevent the export of scrap metal in a manner detrimental to domestic industries.
Free Tourist Visas for Passport Holders of 39 Countries
Implementation of the “Diviyata Saviyak” Housing Programme
Export of scrap metal required for domestic industry to be banned
National Climate and Nature-Positive Investment Fund to be eatablished
New Circular on admission of students to Grades 2 to 11, excluding Grades 5 and 6, in Schools to be issued
Steps are taken to accelerate the recovery efforts following Cyclone Ditwah despite Global Economic Challenges
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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