2017-08-04
The Hon. Leader of the House of Parliament moved a motion to felicitate the Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister on completion of his continous membership in this August Assemby over a period of 40 years and appreciated the selfless and dedicated service rendered by the Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe to the country in general and Parliament in particular and conveyed the best wishes to him in all his future endeavours.
This is the first time such a this felicitation session is taking place in this August Assemby. At today’s sitting several party leaders and ministers extended their felicitations to the Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe, the Prime Minister.
Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe is a senior politician in the Parliament. He was first elected to Parliament (Second National State Assembly) in 1977 from the Biyagama electorate, and went on to hold several portfolios in his political career. This is the fourth time the Hon. Wickremesinghe holding th Premiership (August 2015 to date). He was the Prime Minister of this country in May 1993 to August 1994, December 2001 to February 2004 and January 2015 to June 2015. At present he holds the ministerial portfolio of National Policies and Economic Affairs. He also held several important ministerial portfolios such as Youth Affairs & Employment, Education, Justice, Industries, Science & Technology, Policy Planning, Economic Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural Affairs, etc. He was the Leader of the House of Parliament from March 1989 to May 1993 and was the Leader of the Opposition from October 1994 to August 2000, September 2000 to October 2000, October 2000 to October 2001 and April 2004 to April 2010.
Prior to this special Sitting of Parliament, The Secretary-General of Parliament and his staff organised a “Bodhi Pooja” to invoke blessings on the Prime Minister, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe was held at the Parliament premises this morning under the guidance of Speaker, Hon. Karu Jayasuriya.
2026-11-04
It was decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held today (Nov. 04), under the chairmanship of the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, to take up Supplementary Estimate No. 8 of 2026 for debate and approval tomorrow (November 05).The Supplementary Estimate has been presented to allocate a sum of Rs. 4,261 million (Rs. 4,261,000,000.00) from the Consolidated Fund or any other fund or money belonging to the Government to the Sri Lanka Air Force.The funds are intended for the establishment of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system for the Sri Lanka Air Force, taking into consideration the changing operational environment and emerging threats arising from persistently adverse weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas, which are vulnerable to natural disasters.In addition, as previously decided, the Trusts (Amendment) Bill (Second Reading) will be taken up for debate from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., provided that the Bill is not challenged before the Supreme Court under Article 121 of the Constitution.There will be no changes to the parliamentary business scheduled for Friday (06).
2026-11-04
According to the Census of Population and Housing 2024 conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, the total number of persons with disabilities currently living in Sri Lanka is 727,293. Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Dr. Upali Pannilage, made this disclosure while providing a detailed explanation of the measures taken to promote the welfare of persons with disabilities.These details were revealed in the Minister’s response to questions raised by Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, seeking oral answers in Parliament.According to the Minister, a wide range of assistance programmes are being implemented to improve the living conditions and well-being of persons with disabilities.These include a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000 for low-income persons with disabilities; the provision of special assistive devices; and financial assistance of up to Rs. 50,000 for the purchase of hearing aids and their accessories.Housing assistance is also provided to families with a person with a disability who do not own a house, with a maximum grant of Rs. 1 million. In addition, financial assistance of up to Rs. 50,000 is provided for house repairs, while an allowance of Rs. 150,000 is granted to improve sanitation facilities.Under a separate programme implemented through the Ministry of Housing Construction and Water Supply, financial assistance of Rs. 1 million per person is provided to improve sanitation facilities for persons with disabilities in the Western Province.Other support measures include financial assistance for purchasing educational equipment, facilitating access to medical services, and providing medical assistance of up to Rs. 100,000 through the intervention of the Presidential Secretariat.Financial assistance is also extended to persons with disabilities or their caregivers to start self-employment ventures. Sports equipment and musical instruments are provided to special education units and institutions, while institutions serving persons with disabilities are eligible to receive development assistance of up to Rs. 500,000.Furthermore, free spectacles are distributed through mobile eye clinics, and measures are being taken to improve accessibility to public places for the disability community.The Government also provides vocational training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Children with disabilities below the age of 16 are directed towards education through early intervention programmes, with additional support provided through skills development and daycare facilities.In addition, students with disabilities from low-income families receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 5,000. The Ministry of Education also provides a monthly allowance of Rs. 5,000 to students with disabilities pursuing higher education.
2026-11-04
Sri Lanka has recorded an annual average of 2,536 deaths due to road accidents between 2021 and 2025, while an average of 22,483 people sustain injuries each year, Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni stated.The Deputy Minister made these remarks in Parliament in response to questions raised by Hon. Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, Member of Parliament, seeking oral answers.He further stated that approximately 25,000 people become temporarily or permanently disabled each year as a result of road accidents. The Deputy Minister also noted that, according to international estimates, the economic loss in productivity caused by road accidents in a country is believed to account for between 3% and 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
2026-11-03
A total of 795 Sri Lankan fishermen aboard 145 fishing vessels have been arrested for entering the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of other countries between 2020 and October 23, 2026, while 753 fishermen aboard 66 boats have since been released, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said in Parliament.The Minister made these remarks in response to a question raised by Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, seeking an oral answer, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources.According to the Minister, 49,271 fishing boats were actively engaged in the fishing industry in 2024. These included 4,869 registered multi-day fishing boats, 880 one-day fishing boats (IDAY), 24,823 outboard fibreglass-reinforced plastic boats (OFRP), 2,709 motorised traditional boats (MTRB), 15,037 non-motorised traditional boats (NTRB), and 953 non-motorised beach seine boats (NBSB).He said all 4,869 multi-day fishing boats have been legally licensed to operate in international waters. However, fishing vessels may occasionally enter the EEZs of other countries due to adverse weather conditions, strong winds or mechanical failures. The Minister also noted that there have been instances where some boat operators deliberately entered the territorial waters of other countries to harvest fishery resources.The number of Sri Lankan fishermen arrested overseas has been declining significantly, the Minister said. So far in 2026, 40 fishermen aboard seven fishing boats s have been arrested in foreign waters.Sri Lankan diplomatic missions in the respective countries directly handle matters concerning fishermen and fishing vessels arrested overseas, including the necessary legal and diplomatic interventions, he said.The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources provides the necessary technical reports concerning vessels involved in accidents or other incidents. In certain cases, the Department also provides air tickets required to facilitate the return of the fishermen to Sri Lanka, the Minister added.
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