Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-08-16

Obtaining the Services of Retired Technical Officers of the Three Armed Forces for the Development Programmes implemented under the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs

- Two major Rural Infrastructure Development Programmes are being implemented under the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, covering all the districts in the country. In addition to the said projects, various other projects are also being implemented by various Ministries through the District Secretariats. Although, the services of about 700 Technical Officers at District and Divisional Secretariat level, are required for the preparation of project estimates and monitoring of the projects which are presently being implemented, only about 300 Technical Officers are presently employed in service and that has imposed a constraint on the completion of the said projects within the specified period. Therefore, with a view to duly complete the rural development projects, presently being implemented islandwide, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to obtain the services of Technical Officers retired from the Three Armed Forces, was approved by the Cabinet.