Plans to lease the official residences of former presidents and cabinet ministers to private buyers or for commercial projects have so far failed to materialize, with no private party reportedly coming forward to acquire the properties.
As a result, the government is now moving to repurpose these official residences for the operations of state institutions.
Cabinet approval has already been granted to allocate four former ministerial residences for the establishment of new High Courts.
In addition, arrangements are underway to provide one of these residences to the University Grants Commission to support its administrative functions.
Several other government institutions are also being considered for relocation to former ministerial residences in the near future.
Initially, the government had envisioned using these properties to attract tourism and private investments, generating revenue for the state.
At the time, it was estimated that the official residence of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could have yielded a monthly rental income of approximately Rs. 4 million.
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