Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-02-20

Granting an allowance of Rs.50,000/- for the owners of the houses who were evacuated due to the landslide that occurred at the Meethotamulla Solid Waste Dump

- The Government has already taken appropriate measures to grant rental allowances to the families, whose houses were damaged or evacuated from the risk areas due to the landslide at the Meethotamulla solid waste dump, until such time that they were provided with alternative houses or compensation for their houses. Accordingly, the Cabinet has granted approval to take over the lands which were situated within the risk zone where the houses were located and the houses damaged due to such landslides and the Government to pay compensation for the private lands situated in the landslide area.

It has been observed that the rental allowance need to be further granted to persons affected by the landslide and who have not accepted the alternative houses or in respect of private landowners within the risk zone and the owners of such houses have not been paid the valuation compensation as yet, in respect of houses until the valuation process of such lands is completed. As such, the proposal made by Hon. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, the Minister of Disaster Management, to continue to pay the monthly rental of Rs.50,000/- each further for the 60 families so identified, was approved by the Cabinet.