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Sri Lanka and India sign four MoUs on Grama Shakti and Model Village Housing Projects

Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Baglay and Secretary, State Ministry of Rural Housing and Construction & Building Materials Industries Promotion, Keerthi Ranjith Abesiriwardhana signed four MoUs towards streamlining the implementation mechanisms of ongoing Model Village and three Grama Shakti Housing Projects on Friday.
State Minister Indika Anuruddha was also present.
The MoUs would pave the way for releasing instalments for the houses as advance payment enabling quicker implementation of the projects.
A total 2,400 houses for homeless, low income families across the country are being constructed under the four housing programs at a cost of SLR 1.2 billion. 600 houses under the Model Village Housing Project are evenly spread across the 25 Districts. 1,200 houses are being built under two Grama Shakti Housing Projects in the Southern Province and an additional 600 houses are being built in the Northern Province under the Grama Shakti Housing Project. 96 houses have already been completed under the four programs.
All these projects are being executed through National Housing Development Authority of Sri Lanka.
The four housing schemes are in addition to Government of India’s flagship Indian Housing Program under which close to 50,000 houses have already been constructed. The onstruction of another 10,000 houses is also being undertaken in plantation areas.
Housing projects across the island are aligned with people-oriented, community-driven developmental assistance programmes by Government of India in Sri Lanka. India’s overall commitment of development assistance in the island nation stands at a total of around US$ 3.5 billion. Out of this, close to US$ 560 million are being offered as grants. India’s development assistance projects in Sri Lanka are spread across diverse sectors viz. Education, Research & Training; Health & Medical Care; Industrial Development; Livelihood & Shelter; Transport; Vocational Training and Art, Sports & Culture. (Indian HC news release)
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Death threats won’t deter us – EC Chairman

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Three people dead after torrential rain in New Zealand

BBC reported that at least three people have died and one is missing after New Zealand’s largest city experienced its “wettest day on record” on Friday.
Auckland is said to have received 75% of its usual summer rainfall in just 15 hours.
A local state of emergency was declared as authorities managed evacuations and widespread flooding.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins thanked emergency services for their swift response to the disaster.The new prime minister travelled to Auckland, where he also expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those who died in the floods.
“The loss of life underscores the sheer scale of this weather event and how quickly it turned tragic”, he said in a news conference on Saturday afternoon.
The downpour flooded the airport, shifted houses and resulted in power cuts to homes for hours.
New Zealand’s defence forces were mobilised to assist with evacuations and emergency shelters were set up across the city.
News
Parliament prorogued on Friday night

President says cabinet agreeable to fully implementing 13 A until party leaders decide whether or not to abolish the Amendment
Parliament was prorogued from midnight Friday (27) by President Ranil Wickremesinghe under powers vested in him by Article 70 of the Constitution, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
The Department of Government Printing was due to issue the relevant notification on Friday night but it was not out as this edition went to print.However the President’ Media Division (PMD) confirmed the prorogation on Friday evening saying that President Wickremesinghe “is expected” to make a policy statement based on the decisions taken after the 75th Independence anniversary when parliament recommences on Feb.8.
A separate bulletin said that the president had informed the party leaders Conference on Reconciliation that the cabinet was agreeable to “fully implementing (the) 13th Amendment until party leaders decide whether or not to abolish the Amendment.”
Parliamentary sources explained that a prorogation which is a temporary recess of parliament, should not extend to a period of more than two months, However, such date for summoning parliament may be advanced by another presidential proclamation provided it is summoned for a date not less than three days from the date of such fresh proclamation.
Political observers believe that the prorogation is related to the president’s effort to secure as wide a consensus as possible on the National Question. They dismissed speculation that it is related to the scheduled local elections. This issue was clarified by the PMD bulletin.
When parliament is prorogued, the proclamation should notify the date of the commencement of the new session of parliament under Article 70 of the Constitution.During the prorogation the speaker continues to function and MPs retain their membership of the legislature even though they do not attend meetings of the House.
The effect of a prorogation is to suspend all current business before the House and all proceedings pending at the time are quashed except impeachments.A Bill, motion or question of the same substance cannot be introduced for a second time during the same session. However, it could be carried forward at a subsequent session after a prorogation.
“All matters which having been duly brought before parliament, have not been disposed of at the time of the prorogation, may be proceeded with during the next session,” states the paragraph (4) of article 70 of the constitution.
In the light of this constitutional provision, a prorogation does not result in an end to pending business. Thus, a pending matter may be proceeded with from that stage onwards after the commencement of the new session.
At the beginning of a new session all items of business which were in the order paper need to be re-listed, if it is desired to continue with them.At the end of a prorogation a new session begins and is ceremonially declared open by the president.
He is empowered under the constitution to make a statement of government policy at the commencement of each session of parliament and to preside at ceremonial sittings of parliament in terms of the provisions of paragraph (2) of article 33 of the constitution.The president is empowered to make a statement of government policy at the commencement of each new session. In the past, it was known as the Throne Speech which was delivered by the Governor-General.
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