2021-11-19
News Categories : Committee News
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) disclosed that 214 employees recruited in 2018 for the project of issuing one million deeds by the Land Reforms Commission have been confirmed without the permission of the Department of Management Services. It was revealed that the recruitments were made on a contract basis with the approval of the Cabinet and since then, the group has been confirmed on the basis of a circular issued in 2014. COPE Chairman (Prof.) Charitha Herath pointed out that a serious error had been made by confirming a group of recruits who were recruited for a project without the permission of the Department of Management Services and that this situation set a wrong precedent for other government agencies as well.
Accordingly, the COPE Chairman instructed the Mr. R.A.A.K. Ranawaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development to conduct a formal investigation at the Ministerial level and submit a full report to the COPE within a month and to take immediate action to rectify this situation.
These facts were disclosed at the COPE meeting held chaired by Prof. (Prof.) Charitha Herath recently (17) to examine the Auditor General's reports for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the current performance of the Land Reforms Commission.
The COPE Chairman pointed out that the extent of lands acquired during land acquisition by the Land Reforms Commission established under the Land Reforms Act No. 01 of 1972 and the lack of accurate data on the lands which were disposed by each government during the period was a serious concern. It was revealed that the Commission now owns nearly 1.7 million acres of land and that value is not accurate. The Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development pointed out that this was due to the lack of proper surveying during the acquisition of lands and the transfer of lands under various governments.
The Committee pointed out that since it is essential for the Commission to have accurate data as well as valuation on these lands which are the main assets of the Commission, it is essential that the lands be properly assessed and a definite document with a basis be prepared in this regard. The COPE Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to prepare an expeditious program and inform the COPE on the possibility of using modern drone technology for this purpose.
The Committee stressed the need to digitize the data on these lands using modern technology. The committee pointed out that it would solve many problems, including various irregularities, and instructed the Secretary to intervene immediately.
The Chairman of the Land Commission stated that some files pertaining to the acquisition have been lost. It was revealed that nearly 200 such files have been lost. The Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to look into this matter immediately.
The Committee emphasized the need to rectify this situation as land grabbing by people has become a serious problem instead of putting it to more effective use. It was also revealed that out of the lands acquired under the Land Reforms Act of 1972-1974, there are 260 unoccupied 50-acre lands due to non-submission of plans and declarations. Accordingly, the Committee instructed the Secretary to the Ministry and the Chairman of the Land Commission to open a special window and intervene to resolve this issue within the next six months as this process which has been delayed for 50 years has become a historical issue.
Though the valuation of nearly 1.7 million acres of land owned by the Commission many years ago was mentioned Rs. 676 million, the committee pointed out that the value should be corrected according to the present status. As the value of an acre is around Rs. 500, the COPE Chairman instructed the Chairman of the Land Commission to take necessary action within six months to rectify this problem immediately.
It was also revealed that after leasing the lands of the Commission, it has become a problem to obtain loans by mortgaging those lands to the banks. It was revealed that this occurs due to the fact that the businessmen have the ability to obtain a mortgage with the permission of the Commission as stated in the terms of the transfer of the land they have obtained. There was also a question as to whether certain lands would be utilized effectively after being handed over to the Divisional Secretaries.
Commenting on this, the COPE Chairman said that the main task at present is to identify the extent of assets owned by the Commission and to prepare a model for its effective organization. Prof. Herath said that as this is a matter of national interest, the committee will be reconvened in the future to work out a definite plan with the stakeholders including the Survey Department.
Hon. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Hon. State Minister Indika Anuruddha, Hon. Members of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka, (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratna, Nalin Bandara, Madhura Withanage were present at the committee meeting.
2026-07-22
The draft Terms of Reference (ToR) prepared for the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative was approved recently at a meeting held in Parliament with the participation of Parliament's development partner organizations.The approval was granted during a meeting of the Caucus chaired by its Co-Chair, Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakkiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam.The draft Terms of Reference was developed based on proposals and recommendations received during a workshop organized by the Caucus in recent months to gather stakeholder input for its preparation.The meeting also agreed that, following the approval of the Terms of Reference, the document would be submitted to Hon. President, and that a discussion would be held with the President on behalf of the Caucus.
2026-07-22
The Sub-Committee appointed by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) focused its attention on the methodology, implementation timeline and coordination arrangements relating to the research study proposed for the restructuring of the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE), when it met recently, at Parliament under the Chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Ruwan Mapalagama.During the meeting, discussions were held on the establishment of the proposed Institutional Operations Committee and a six-member Coordination Team to facilitate the implementation of the research. Attention was also focused on the proposed Mixed-Methods Design, the preparation of questionnaires and the data collection process.The Sub-Committee further reviewed the progress of obtaining public views on the restructuring of SLIATE. Matters relating to obtaining the contribution of the Human Resources and Management Information Systems (MIS) divisions for the research, the preparation of the research implementation timeline through a Gantt Chart, and the stakeholder consultations to be held with representatives of the industry sector were also considered.The programme to obtain the views of stakeholders, including Chambers of Commerce, industry associations and professional bodies, as well as the conduct of field visits to selected SLIATE institutions across the country, was also discussed.The Sub-Committee decided to proceed with the future activities of the research in accordance with the agreed timeline and to present the relevant progress reports at its next meeting.Hon. Member of Parliament Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Prageeth Madhuranga also attended the meeting.
2026-07-22
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) focused its attention on referring the matters revealed in relation to land misuse, financial irregularities and administrative deficiencies at the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for a formal investigation.The matter was taken up when the Committee met recently at Parliament under the Chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera to continue its examination of the Auditor General's Reports for the years 2022 and 2023 and to consider the remaining matters relating to the current performance of the National Housing Development Authority.During the meeting, lengthy discussions were held regarding the leasing of valuable NHDA-owned lands located at Maligawatta, Elvitigala Mawatha and Rangirigama, Dambulla to external parties at low nominal values without Cabinet approval, the use of such lands for purposes contrary to the conditions stipulated in the relevant agreements, and the failure to adequately safeguard the Authority's assets.The Committee observed that many of these transactions had been carried out in contravention of the objectives of the National Housing Development Authority and the relevant legal provisions. Accordingly, the Committee recommended that comprehensive reports on the identified irregularities be referred to the Criminal Investigation Department and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption for the institution of appropriate legal action.The Committee also instructed the officials to expedite internal audit investigations into these matters, identify the officers responsible and initiate disciplinary action against them. Furthermore, the Committee recommended that the necessary measures be taken to strengthen asset management and internal control systems in order to prevent the recurrence of such irregularities in the future.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Dayasiri Jayasekara, S.M. Marikkar, Attorney-at-Law Sujeewa Senasinghe, Mujibur Rahman, Chaminda Wijesiri, Dr. S. Sri Bavanandarajah, Sunil Rajapaksha, Thilina Samarakoon, Chandima Hettiarachchi, Asitha Niroshana Egodavithana, Ruwan Mapalagama, Jagath Manuwarna, Dinesh Hemantha, M.K.M. Aslam and Sudath Balagalla.
2026-07-21
Discussions focus on strengthening disability-inclusive legislation and policy implementationThe Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities held discussions with the United Nations Resident Coordinator and representatives of several United Nations agencies at Parliament with a view to strengthening cooperation in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and advancing disability-inclusive legislation and policies in Sri Lanka.The meeting was held in Parliament under the Chairmanship of the Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva recently.Addressing the meeting, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Marc-André Franche, commended the Parliament for establishing the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities and emphasized the importance of treating disability inclusion as a national priority across all sectors. He reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to provide technical expertise and institutional support in areas including legislative reforms, accessibility, inclusive education, employment, community-based rehabilitation and strengthening national coordination.The UNICEF Representative, Ms. Begoña Arellano, highlighted the need to safeguard the rights of children with disabilities, particularly in relation to health, nutrition and education, while emphasizing the important oversight role of Parliament in ensuring the effective implementation of disability-inclusive policies.Representatives of UNFPA, UNDP, ILO and UN Volunteers also briefed the Caucus on ongoing initiatives relating to youth, education, disability data collection, employment opportunities and social inclusion.During the meeting, the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage, informed the Caucus that the proposed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill and the Sign Language Bill are currently with the Attorney General's Department and are expected to be presented to Parliament on September 2026. He further stated that measures are underway to improve accessibility in public institutions, expand employment opportunities, introduce educational grants for university students with disabilities and establish ten day-care centres for children with disabilities within this year.The Caucus also discussed future initiatives, including the preparation of disability-inclusive budget proposals by Government Ministries, the finalisation of a national disability database and the conduct of a sensitisation programme for journalists to promote a rights-based approach to disability related reporting.The meeting concluded with the Chair, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, reiterating the Caucus's core theme, "An unhindered social life," and calling for continued, unified collaboration to make an inclusive society a reality.The meeting was attended by the Deputy Co-Chairs of the Caucus, Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka, and Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage, Members of Parliament and representatives of the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, ILO and UN Volunteers.
Handbook of Parliament
The System of Elections in Sri Lanka
How Parliament Works
Business of Parliament
Copyright © The Parliament of Sri Lanka.
All Rights Reserved.
Design & Developed by TekGeeks
