News
Promotion of Lanka-Belgium parliamentary ties discussed
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium Grace Asirwatham met President of the Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group Senator Allessia Claes on Dec 14, 2023, at the Belgium Senate building, on the promotion of parliamentary relations between Belgium and Sri Lanka. This meeting was part of the ambassador’s farewell calls, marking the conclusion of her term in Belgium, the Foreign Ministry said
Both the Senator and the Ambassador recognized the importance of exchanging ideas among legislators to deepen friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries. They acknowledged that the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka have slowed down the initiation of collaborative initiatives between the two parliaments. Looking ahead, Senator Claes shared insights on Belgium’s upcoming parliamentary elections in June 2024 and expressed optimism and hope that the new parliament would actively work towards reconstituting the Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group to renew efforts in promoting robust relations and continued cooperation between the two parliaments.
Senator Claes has been a supporter of Sri Lanka and has attended promotion events and functions organized by the Embassy in Brussels. The Senator appreciated the farewell call on her by Ambassador Asirwatham and congratulated her on her successful tenure in Belgium, the ministry said.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint R. A. Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi a special grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) as the Commissioner
General of Lands.
Approval was granted at the cabinet meeting held on 05-08-2024 to resettle the unauthorized residents in the railway reserve from the Maligawatte Loco junction to Padukka railway station under the Colombo Suburban Railway Project.
Accordingly, resettlements in 694 housing units which were purchased from housing complexes owned by the Urban Development Authority have already been completed and further, 144 housing units are due
to be received from the Urban development Authority. In addition, a housing complex consisting of 120 housing units is being constructed on land in Kottawa, Malapalla area which is owned by the Railway Department for the resettlement of unauthorized residents in Maharagama, Homagama, Padukka area where there are no housing
schemes of the Urban Development Authority, and the constructions of that housing scheme is being completed at present.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Port, and Civil Aviation to transfer the land located in Kottawa, Marapalla, belonging to the Sri Lanka Railway Department, and the housing complex within the said land to the National Housing Development Authority as a free grant in terms of the provisions of Section 6(1) of the Government Land Ordinance and to implement the said program of providing the relevant deeds to the selected beneficiaries in such a way as not to burden them financially.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne serving as a special grade officer in Sri Lanka Agriculture Service in the post of Additional Secretary (Agri Technology) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation as the Commissioner General of Agriculture,
R A Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi appointed as Commissioner General of Lands
Resettlement of unauthorized residents in Kelaniveli Railway Reserves
Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne appointed Commissioner General of Agriculture
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