Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2015-07-22

Construction of a Two-Storeyed Hostel for the National Institute of Language Education and Training (NILET)

- The National Institute of Language Education and Training (NILET), established by the Act No.26 of 2007, is located at Agalawatta in the Kalutara District, with the mandate of enhancing bilingual and trilingual skills of public officers, teachers and persons who are interested in learning languages, in order to implement the Official Languages Policy efficiently. It conducts training programmes to produce teachers skilled in teaching Sinhala, Tamil and English languages, to train translators and interpreters, to provide language training to public officers, and for government approved language training courses. Although requests have been made to conduct the Residential Training Programme for Proficiency in the Second Official Language implemented at present for medical officers who have completed their internship, for the officers of the other All Island Services, nursing officers and officers from the defence forces as well, the limited availability of residential facilities poses a constraint to the increase of residential training opportunities. As such, the proposal made by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, the Minister of Public Administration, Local Government and Democratic Governance, to construct a hostel which would provide residential facilities for 90 persons more, in addition to the available hostel facilities, at the premises of the NILET at Agalawatta, at a cost of Rs.98.8 million, was approved by the Cabinet.