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NPP MP Selvaraj vows to end parochial aid distribution on estates by regional parties
There are some tea estates where the workers do not have access to clean drinking water, National People’s Power (NPP) MP Kitnan Selvaraj has said.
He said that instead of addressing the common issues faced by the estate workers, regional political parties have been distributing local and foreign aid and assistance among their political supporters.
“Everyone knows that several foreign countries and multilateral organisations provide aid to the estates. When it comes to housing for example, instead of choosing those who are most needy, they have chosen their henchmen,” he said.
Moreover, leaders of regional political parties have occupied some bungalows in state owned estates. “We have removed some of them already, and we will get rid of all of them soon,” he said.
Selvaraj said the NPP is discussing what future housing for estate workers should look like. “We have not come to a decision yet. However, I think that if we can build vertically, we can save space and keep building for future generations. We don’t necessarily have to hold on to the earlier way of life, or living, for estate workers,” he said.
Latest News
Payment of Compensation to the people who have lost their cultivable lands in implementing the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 27-06-2012 to provide cultivable agricultural lands from the lower Uma Oya valley to 276 farming families in Hali-Ela, Walimada, and Uva Paranagama Divisional Secretariat Divisions who have lost their cultivable lands due to the acquisition of lands for the
Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.
However, the aforementioned proposal could not be implemented due to the encroachment of a large portion of the identified lands by unauthorized persons, heavy forest cover, the threats posed by wild elephants, remoteness from their original settlements, and difficulties in adapting to other environmental conditions and social anomalies.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation to pay an estimated compensation of Rs. 12 lakhs for each of these 276 farming families, based on the
recommendations submitted by the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to provide solutions for the issues arising in the implementation of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.
Policy approval was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 07.04.2025 to prepare a draft bill to establish the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka in order to accomplish the requirement of a training institution to carry out studies in order to create chartered media professionals and mould intelligent media personalities with skills in order to enhance the quality and standard of the media society.
Clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the final draft prepared by the Legal Draftsman for the purpose.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to publish the draft bill of Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka in the Government Gazette Notification and thereafter submit the same for the concurrence of the House.
The Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 has enabled provisions to impose telecommunication levy. The budget 2026 has proposed to introduce amendments for the act including changes imposed from time to time regarding the telecommunication levy.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated a draft bill for
amending the Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 including provisions to extend applicable to envisage all the tax amounts applicable from the year 2015 along with the telecommunication levy existing at present, applicable of taxes on unrecovered revenue (bad debts) and to extend the provisions of that act to cater the telecommunication suppliers.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said draft bill in the Government Gazette Notification and subsequently to submit the same for the concurrence of the House.
Payment of Compensation to the people who have lost their cultivable lands in implementing the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project
Draft Bill of the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka to be Gazzated
Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 to be amended
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