Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-10-17

Resettlement of families resident in the lands to be used for the development purposes of the Kelani Valley Railway Line in other locations

- The objective of the Kelani Valley Railway Line Development Project is the development of the road section from Maradana to Padukka by constructing a double track and for rehabilitating the balance section up to Avissawella. A survey is being conducted on the socio-economic effects when releasing lands required for the project and the activities of the survey from Maradana to Homagama has by now been completed. As revealed in the survey, the 2,100 families who reside in the railway reservations on either side of the railway line should be resettled in other places before commencing the construction work of the project.

In this respect, the preferred and the most practicable solution available at present for addressing this issue is to utilize the Housing Units of the Housing Projects constructed by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the 'Urban Regeneration Project'. The Authority has consented to set apart 2,036 houses with a capacity of 400 to 500 sq. feet for the purpose for a value of Rs.4 to Rs.5 million each, from the houses expected to be completed from such projects, within the period from 2017 to 2019. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to secure the funds necessary to reserve such houses, was approved by the Cabinet.