Date: 2023-05-23 Answered

1615/2023: "PARISARA MAWATHA" PROJECT: DETAILS

1615/2023

Hon. Tissa Attanayake,— To ask the Minister of Environment,—

(a) Will he inform this House—

(i) of the reasons for spending only Rs. 20,000/= out of the allocation of Rs. 5 million released by the Ministry of Environment to the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government in the year 2018, under the “Parisara Mawatha Project”, to establish Parisara Mawatha for the selected provinces;

(ii) of the reasons for not providing a definition and for not introducing the criteria related to the Parisara Mawatha, in spite of the fact that it had been planned to establish 100 Parisara Mawatha in the year 2021;

(iii) of the reasons for not including the Parisara Mawatha project in the action plan relevant to the year 2021 of the Ministry of Environment; and

(iv) of the reasons for suspending the implementation of the said project without accomplishing the expected objectives of the Parisara Mawatha Project?

(b) If not, why?

Asked Date

2023-05-23

Asked by

Hon. Tissa Attanayake, M.P.

Ministry

Environment

Legislature

Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka

Session

Fourth Session

Question History

Answer

* සභාමේසය මත තබන ලද පිළිතුර:

* சபாபீடத்தில் வைக்கப்பட்ட விடை:

* Answer tabled:

(a) (i) The "Parisara Mawatha" (Eco-pathway) Project had been in operation only till 2017. Establishment of three eco-pathways were commenced mainly in Kamburupitiya, Kundasale and Wanathavilluwa in the year 2017 and although provisions pertaining to the eco- pathway belonging to the Kamburupitiya Pradeshiya Sabha (Rs. 2,000,000) was released on 04.07.2017, payments have not been made because when the plot of land identified for the construction of the eco-pathway was about to be approved, it was found that the land did not belong to the Pradeshiya Sabha.

Although provisions pertaining to the eco-pathway belonging to the Kundasale Pradeshiya Sabha (Rs. 1,995,690.80) was released on 30.10.2017, these amounts have not been paid as the project had not been completed within the relevant period and imprests of the local authority concerned for the year 2017 had not been adequate.

Similarly, this Ministry released the provisions relevant to payments for the eco-pathway belonging to the Wanathavilluwa Pradeshiya Sabha on 17.11.2017 to the local authority concerned. The Ministry of Local Government has directed the relevant Local Government Commissioners to settle the approved bills relevant to the task before 20.12.2017 and obtain the money. The Wanathavilluwa Pradeshiya Sabha by its letter dated 08.02.2018 informed that the money had not been received for the task concerned and the Ministry of Local Government has stated that the relevant vouchers were received on 29.12.2017 and they have been retained due to inadequacy of imprests for the year 2017. Therefore, a request was made by the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment in order to bear the extra expenditure for those payments through a note of request for authority and a sum of Rs. 911,065.05 was released to the local authority concerned on 14.09.2018 from the provisions remaining from the year 2018.

(ii) The "Parisara Mawatha" Programme has not been included in the Action Plan for the year 2021 and plans have not been made to establish 100 eco-pathways.

The concept note has introduced the eco-pathway as “A pathway which has an appropriate canopy of flora about in the form of an arch, shade the fresh air with minimum impact of coarse architectural straight lines and from which other sufferings to people have been removed through relevant specific road laws”.

(iii) As the "Parisara Mawatha" is a pilot project, provisions had been made available for it under a separate expenditure Head and no provisions have been made available in the year 2021 for this purpose.

(iv) The "Parisara Mawatha" Project has been suspended as provisions have not been received for the project.

(b) Does not arise.

Answered Date

2023-05-23

Answered by

Hon. Prasanna Ranatunga, M.P.