Welikada Prison riots: Compensation to next of kin

1 March 2017 06:58 pm

The Cabinet has approved the payment of compensation to the next of kin of 16 inmates who were killed and the 11 injured during the Welikada prison riots on November 9, 2012.

The Cabinet paper was submitted by Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Minister D.M. Swaminathan on the recommendation of the sub committee which probed the prison riots. A payment of Rs.2,000,000 will be paid to the next of kin of 16 prisoners who died and Rs.500,000 each of those who were injured.

The sub committee said it was unnecessary to pay compensation to the 11 prisoners who were killed when attempting to escape from jail.

The Government has decided to gazette the procurement guidelines and instructions issued by the Ministry of Finance from time to time on the government’s procurement procedure through the National Procurement Commission to accelerate the process.

The Cabinet memo presented by President Maithripala Sirisena also includes new time frames to be followed on Cabinet-approved Procurement Guidelines and update or amend procurement guidelines by paying attention on new trends such as e-procurement and a general construction plan on designing and funds to provide technical skills to government officers on the procurement procedure. (Sandun A Jayasekera)