2022-02-11
Minister of Plantation, Hon. (Dr.) Ramesh Pathirana addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantation yesterday (10) stated that his Ministry is ready to expedite the implementation of an integrated nutrient management program for the development of the tea industry in the face of existing challenges. The Minister said that not only chemical fertilizers but also shade, water and soil factors are very important to increase the production of tea.
Despite the shortage of chemical fertilizers in the country, the total production of tea has increased by 21 million in 2021 compared to 2020, the Minister said. He stated aforesaid when Member of Parliament Weerasumana Weerasinghe pointed out that many tea smallholders in Matara and other areas are facing difficulties due to the shortage of chemical fertilizers.
Member of Parliament Weerasumana Weerasinghe, pointed out to the Committee that it is appropriate for the government to maintain a proper process of providing organic fertilizer to tea estates in light of the increase in the price of chemical fertilizers. The Minister of Plantations said that some of the chemical fertilizers allocated by the government for tea cultivation were sold at higher prices in other areas. He also said that the price of chemical fertilizers would come down rapidly under the current global conditions. The Minister also pointed out that the government will provide 50% of the cost of providing water supply to tea estates in collaboration with the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority.
In addition, Member of Parliament Palani Digambaram inquired about the delay in the process of raising the basic salary of plantation workers to Rs. 1,000. Although the Minister refrained from commenting as this is an issue before the courts at present, he further stated that there should be an agreement between the employees and the management to resolve this situation.
Also, in response to a query made by the Member of Parliament Jagath Pushpakumara, the Minister said that if there are any irregularities withing the ministry whose main purpose is the betterment of plantation industry, he would take appropriate action if need be.
At the request of State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, a coconut nursery project in the Kurunegala District, a project to distribute coconut oil extraction machines as per a proposal made by Hon. Amarakeerthi Athukorala and at the request of Hon. MP Weerasumana Weerasinghe, to take immediate action to cultivate coconut on paddy fields in the Nilwala area in Matara which have been abandoned for more than 30 years were approved by the Consultative Committee.
State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, Members of Parliament Jagath Pushpakumara, S. Sridharan, Palani Digambaran, M. Rameshwaran, Sampath Athukorala, Weerasumana Weerasinghe and Amarakeerthi Athukorala were also present at the committee meeting held.
2026-10-30
A special meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at the Parliament premises under the chairmanship of the Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Member of Parliament. Australian High Commissioner H. E. Matthew John Duckworth and a group of officials, along with representatives of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), also participated in the meeting.During the meeting, the Deputy Co-Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, made a detailed presentation on the work carried out by the Caucus and the progress achieved over the past one and a half years.He stated that the Caucus had organized a series of district-level consultations involving persons with disabilities and relevant government officials. The consultations in the Northern Province and Kalutara District have been successfully completed, and plans are underway to conduct similar programmes in six more districts.Proposals for next year's Budget have also been collected with the participation of more than 50 organizations representing the disability community. The Caucus has proposed introducing a separate budget line for persons with disabilities in the budget estimates of every ministry to ensure that their needs are adequately addressed.The Caucus is also taking steps to introduce a new Disability Bill in line with international standards to replace the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 28 of 1996. In addition, work is underway to introduce a Sign Language Act and make necessary amendments to the special education sector.With the intervention of the Chair of the Caucus, a WhatsApp video call service has also been launched to enable persons with hearing impairments to contact the Police Emergency Service on 119 using sign language during emergencies. The service is supported by police officers trained in sign language.Dr. Padmanathan Sathyalingam further highlighted the achievements of the Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, who received the 2026 Commonwealth New Parliamentarian Award presented by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in recognition of his outstanding service. He also noted that the election of Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva to the Tenth Parliament as a representative of the disability community was a historic achievement for Sri Lanka.Addressing the meeting, the Australian High Commissioner stated that ensuring the advancement of persons with disabilities alongside other members of society is a key objective of democratic governance and Australia's foreign policy. He also expressed Australia's interest in providing long-term support for policy and legislative reforms, including the development of data systems and the preparation of sign language dictionaries.The Chair of the Caucus emphasized that a comprehensive Action Plan covering the needs and priorities of the disability community had been presented to guide the Caucus's future work. He reaffirmed the Caucus's commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka.Several Members of Parliament who are members of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities also attended the meeting.
2026-10-29
Committee raises concerns over security and internal control weaknesses, financial management issues and the need to amend the University ActA loss of Rs. 8,442,091 has been incurred due to the theft of 2,199 metres of copper strips belonging to the lightning protection system of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital, it was revealed at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).The Committee, chaired by the Hon. Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, Member of Parliament, met at Parliament recently (Oct. 21) and summoned the management of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to examine the Auditor General’s Reports for 2023 and 2024, as well as the university’s current performance and operations.It was revealed that a civilian contract worker and a member of the Navy had been arrested and produced before the court in connection with the theft of copper strips in 2022 and 2023. However, the Committee questioned the discrepancies between the total quantity of copper strips reported as stolen and the quantity recovered by the Police. It also sought explanations regarding inconsistencies in the measurements recorded in documents relating to the items produced as court evidence.The Committee also discussed weaknesses in the hospital’s asset management and internal control systems. Its attention was drawn to the failure to maintain proper records of assets and their quantities since the hospital began operations, the lack of proper assignment of responsibilities to officers for electrical and lightning protection systems, and the failure to conduct scheduled maintenance inspections.The Committee also questioned the use of aluminium wires instead of copper when restoring the lightning protection system following the theft. It sought clarification on whether the technical standards and safety of the system had been properly ensured.The Committee extensively examined issues affecting hospital services, including the underutilisation of certain wards, operating theatres and intensive care units at the hospital, which has a capacity of more than 800 beds. The shortage of medical officers and other staff was also discussed.To address the continuing problems at the hospital, the Committee instructed the administrative authorities to promptly decide whether the hospital should operate under a government hospital model or a private hospital model and take the necessary action accordingly. The Committee stressed that failure to reach a clear decision and implement appropriate measures could further worsen the existing problems.The Committee also considered issues relating to the repayment of foreign loans obtained for the construction of the hospital, the prolonged delay in the construction of an auditorium, and audit observations concerning the financial and administrative controls of CUE Technologies Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a company affiliated with KDU.The need to amend the existing University Act without delay was also emphasised to strengthen the university’s governance structure and address the identified administrative and management issues. It was noted that instructions had already been given to proceed with the amendment process, taking into account shortcomings identified previously. The importance of expediting the relevant legal and administrative procedures was also highlighted.The Chair of the Committee emphasised the importance of making more effective use of public resources by increasing the hospital’s operational capacity, addressing staff shortages, improving medicine management and strengthening the university’s financial and administrative control systems.Several Hon. Members of Parliament attended the meeting, including Attorney-at-law Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahuman, Attorney-at-law Nilanti Kottahachchi, Samanmali Gunasinghe, Dr. S. Sribavanandarajah, Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Prageeth Madhuranga, Jagath Manuwarna, Sunil Rajapaksha, Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, Thilina Samarakoon, Chandima Hettiarachchi and Dinesh Hemantha.The Commanders of the three Armed Forces and a group of officials from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University also participated in the meeting.
2026-10-29
An islandwide special national programme will be held on 2nd November under the leadership of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Ministry of Health to promote early detection of breast cancer, one of the most commonly reported cancers among women in Sri Lanka, and raise public awareness of the disease.The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, held under the chairpersonship of Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Chairperson of the Caucus.At the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Health explained the current situation regarding breast cancer and the importance of early detection. Approximately 6,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported in Sri Lanka annually, while around 1,000 women die from the disease each year. Although breast cancer can be completely cured when detected at an early stage, delays in seeking treatment due to fear, embarrassment or a lack of awareness remain a major challenge.Accordingly, on Monday, 2nd November, women Members of Parliament are scheduled to organize health clinics and awareness programmes at the electorate and district levels and participate directly in these initiatives. Plans have also been made to demonstrate active participation in Breast Cancer Awareness Month through the use of pink symbols, including pink ribbons and pink wristbands, as well as pink clothing, among women Members of Parliament and school and university students.Special attention will be given to encouraging women in rural communities, plantation areas, urban high-rise housing complexes and underserved areas to attend Suwanari Clinics. As only around 50% of women aged 35–45 currently attend these clinics, efforts will be made to encourage more women in this age group to make use of the facilities available at designated cancer early-detection centres.A comprehensive programme is also planned for implementation next year to refer all women aged 35–45 for screening tests, bringing together relevant stakeholders, including women’s societies operating at the Grama Niladhari division level. In addition, the meeting discussed conducting cervical cancer awareness programmes in January under the leadership of women Members of Parliament.The meeting also focused on gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and the care economy. Discussions were held on obtaining technical advisory support to facilitate the implementation of the National Care Policy and the incorporation of gender-responsive policies into the budgetary process.Furthermore, the need to expedite amendments to address existing shortcomings in legislation relating to the prevention of domestic violence, maintenance, and the prohibition of corporal punishment against children was emphasized. The importance of coordinating with the Ministry of Justice to advance these amendments was also highlighted.The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees of Parliament Hemali Weerasekara, Deputy Co-Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Hon. Member of Parliament Attorney-at-Law and Chamindrani Kiriella, several women Members of Parliament serving on the Caucus, officials from the Ministry of Health, and representatives of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in Sri Lanka participated in the discussions.
2026-10-28
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism met in Parliament on the Oct. 23rd, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath.The Committee discussed the measures taken to ensure the safety and welfare of Sri Lankan workers employed in Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Ministry officials explained the steps taken to arrange special flights for workers whose travel had been delayed due to flight cancellations. They also outlined arrangements to provide temporary accommodation and meals when necessary.The importance of entering into agreements with foreign countries to ensure the safety and welfare of Sri Lankan workers seeking employment abroad was also discussed.In addition, the Committee discussed difficulties in using Russian roubles for trade transactions with Russia and possible alternative payment methods.Matters relating to the safety and welfare of Sri Lankans living and working overseas, foreign employment agreements and the implementation of tourism projects were also discussed.A group of Members of Parliament and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism attended the meeting.
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