2021-11-17
News Categories : Committee News
Expenditure of Rs. 80,560,914 exceeding Rs. 350 million than the approved estimated cost for 'Yowun Pura' or 'The City of Youth' program disclosed at COPE Committee.
Cooperation between institutions is a key factor for the future progress of the state, COPE Committee Chairman (Prof.) Charitha Herath emphasizes.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Chairmans of the National Youth Services Council and the Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Ltd. should co-operate. In failure to do so, it would be a serious obstacle to the survival of the state. He stressed at the COPE Committee meeting yesterday (16).
The COPE Chairman also instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Youth & Sports, Anuradha Wijekoon, to take immediate action against officials who are found to be negligent and misbehaving.
The Committee also noted that the Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Ltd. had not prepared a consolidated plan since 2017. The Committee also questioned the company for not preparing an action plan.
The Chairman of the Committee Prof. Charitha Herath stated that there is a delay in the submission of the Annual Reports of the National Youth Services Council to Parliament and also questioned the non-submission of the Annual Reports of the Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Ltd. since 2015. The Committee also directed the Ministry of Youth & Sports to submit all such reports to Parliament expeditiously.
Although it was decided to construct the Nilwala Youth Park in Matara by a Cabinet decision, the Committee also paid special attention to the fact that no feasibility study has been carried out in that regard. The Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training paid Rs. 142,810,543 as compensation and interest to the relevant land owners and Rs. 7,657,349 as advisory fees to the National Youth Services Council as at 31st December 2014.
It was revealed at the meeting that although the total estimated cost for the 'Yowun Pura' program held in 2018 and 2019 was Rs. 350 million, Rs. 80,560,914 has been spent exceeding the estimated cost. He further stated that apart from the procurement process in obtaining 02 warehouses required for the 2019 program on lease basis, the number of days ordered was exceeded. The total amount paid was an additional amount of Rs. 2,227,400. The Committee also observed that Rs. 1,932,500 had been paid for 1773 T-shirts after the date of the program without the recommendation of the Technical Committee for distribution to the youth who participated in the Youth National Program held in 2016.
It was also revealed at this Committee meeting that according to the report of the Survey Board, it had been recommended to remove 268,000 leaflets which cost Rs. 1,822,400 to be printed in the year 2017.
Although Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Ltd. was established in 1981 with over 98% shareholding in the National Youth Services Council, it was disclosed at the Committee meeting those joint financial statements had not been prepared.
Also, the National Youth Services Council had carried out work worth Rs. 417 million in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 through the Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Instructions pertaining to the non-disclosure of matters related to the institution to outside parties by way of an Internal Circular issued by the Chairman of the National Youth Services Council and the Sri Lanka Youth Services Pvt. Ltd. to the Heads of Divisions on 08th October 2021 was also revealed at the COPE Committee. The Committee pointed out that it hindered the work of the National Audit Office and the Ministry of Youth & Sports.
Even before the basic facilities for the launch of the Cisco Computer Networking Course to be launched by the National Youth Services Council, the Committee questioned the officials of the National Youth Services Council regarding the purchase of equipment on July 29th, 2021 at a cost of Rs. 15,708,178.
Hon. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Hon. State Minister Susil Premajayantha, Hon. Members of Parliament Madhura Withanage, Premnath C. Dolawatte and a number of officials were present at the committee meeting.
2026-05-26
The Central Provincial Council was summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) to examine the Auditor General’s triennial report for the years 2021–2023, the Auditor General’s report for 2024, and the Council’s current performance.The committee meeting, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, was held recently at Parliament.During the meeting, attention was drawn to the progress made in implementing recommendations issued at the COPA meeting held on 5th September, 2019. Discussions focused on the incident involving the destruction of files belonging to the Central Provincial Passenger Transport Authority.It was revealed that directives issued by the relevant court and the Presidential Secretary regarding the incident had not been implemented by the responsible authorities. In this regard, the Committee Chairman instructed officials of the Central Provincial Council to submit all reports and correspondence related to the incident to the committee.In addition, the committee discussed an incident involving the unlawful transfer of a rest house owned by the Road Development Authority to a third party in violation of lease conditions. Accordingly, the Chairman instructed officials to identify the officers responsible for making the relevant decisions and to submit a report to the committee on the legal action being taken in connection with the matter.The committee also held extensive discussions on irregularities identified by the National Audit Office in road development and passenger transport services in the Central Province, as well as issues affecting the health sector.Expressing his views during the meeting, the Chairman emphasized the importance of expediting ongoing investigations within institutions and focusing on follow-up action. He further stressed that if a state institution generates profits, such profits should accrue to the government, and if such revenue is used for institutional activities, established legal provisions and procedures must be strictly followed.The meeting was attended by committee members Hon. Members of Parliament Dr. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, Sunil Rathnasiri, Oshani Umanga, Susantha Kumara Navarathna, Ajantha Gammeddage, Chanaka Madugoda, T.K. Jayasundara and Lal Premanath along with a group of government officials.
2026-05-26
The Parliamentary Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, recently sought views from the Attorney General’s Department and members of the Election Commission.The discussion took place when the committee met in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath.During the meeting, the Attorney General’s Department briefed the committee on the existing legal obstacles to holding Provincial Council elections and the possible ways in which such obstacles could be removed to facilitate the conduct of the elections.The Election Commission informed the committee that it is prepared to conduct Provincial Council elections at any time under the legal provisions enacted by Parliament based on the committee’s recommendations.The meeting was attended by Hon. Deputy Ministers Arun Hemachandra, Sunil Watagala, Attorney-at-Law and Muneer Mulaffer as well as committee members Hon. Members of Parliament Mano Ganesan, Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Samanmali Gunasinghe and Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi. The committee member M. Nizam Kariapper, P.C also participated virtually.
2026-05-25
The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has decided to examine the ongoing legal proceedings and matters relating to the protection of the girl involved in the sexual abuse incident reported from the Anuradhapura area.This decision was taken during the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus meeting chaired by Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, held in Parliament today (May 25). Accordingly, a special discussion has been scheduled for 05.06.2026 with the participation of relevant institutions including the Sri Lanka Police, the Attorney General’s Department, the National Child Protection Authority and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services.In addition to the incident, which has generated significant public concern, the discussion is also expected to focus extensively on strengthening the laws and empowering the institutions required to prevent all forms of violence against women and children.Meanwhile, it was also decided to appoint a subcommittee under the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to oversee the future legal proceedings relating to the Anuradhapura girl’s case and to identify the institutional and legal reforms required in the country to eliminate violence against women and children.The subcommittee will be led by the deputy co-chairs of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Hon. Members of Parliament Samanmali Gunasinghe and Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella. The other members of the subcommittee will be Hon. Hemali Weerasekara, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athauda, Attorney-at-Law Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, Attorney-at-Law Anushka Thilakarathna, Attorney-at-Law Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law Hiruni Wijesinghe and Attorney-at-Law Lakmali Hemachandra.
2026-05-25
The progress of implementing the new education reforms was reviewed at a recent meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi. During the meeting held in Parliament on the 19th, extensive discussions were held on the implementation of the new education reforms.Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewa, briefed the committee on the manner in which the new education reforms are being implemented.The meeting was attended by Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, committee members, provincial education secretaries, school principals, and several other officials.
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