2022-07-07
News Categories : Committee News
Hon. Prasanna Ranatunga, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, said that the supplementary estimate to be submitted to the Parliament will not allocate funds for urban development activities. The minister said that due to the economic crisis in the country, the treasury has informed that all the future development activities should be temporarily stopped and the development activities that have been started should also be temporarily stopped so as not to incur losses. The minister further stated that it can only be said correctly after the supplementary estimate is presented to the parliament.
The Minister mentioned this when the members of Parliament inquired about the allocation of funds for future development activities the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Urban Development & Housing met recently (05).
The development of Najima Estate on Ferguson Road, Colombo North was discussed at length. Officials of the Urban Development Authority mentioned that this land was used as an intermediate camp where the low-income people were temporarily settled until they were settled in permanent houses in 2006. But recently some people have forcibly settled in this land, so legal steps have been taken to evict them.
Also, the request made by the Member of Parliament Hon. Yadamini Gunawardena for rebuilding the Modara Kimbulaela playground was also considered here.
There was also a discussion at length regarding the problems in providing water supply to the residents of the apartment complexes in Colombo. Furthermore, the MPs were of the view that apartment owners living in Colombo receive one bill including housing charges and other charges together and that the water charges in it are very high.
Officials of the Urban Development Authority mentioned that because the National Water Supply and Drainage Board supplies water in bulk, monthly fees are charged according to the prices of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.
The minister asked why the National Water Supply and Drainage Board cannot charge the water charges. Here the officials mentioned that they are currently working to establish the Condominium Management Authority to manage the apartments and after that these difficulties will be minimized.
Members of Parliament, officials from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Urban Development Authority and other officials representing relevant institutions were present at the Committee meeting.
2025-11-27
The Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Najith Indika, stated that the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board must take the lead in streamlining the procurement process and easing existing legal barriers related to importing equipment used to test drivers for drug use.These matters were taken up during the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, which met in Parliament on 20th November 2025 under the chairmanship of Hon. MP (Dr.) Najith Indika.The Committee reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals and special project implementations of the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government.Officials from the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau highlighted the difficulties in conducting roadside drug tests due to the lack of necessary equipment.The Committee Chair noted that the government has prioritized eliminating drug abuse and stressed the importance of regulating drivers who operate vehicles under the influence of drugs. He further stated that essential equipment required to identify drug users must be made readily available and that legal barriers affecting their procurement process and importation should be addressed promptly.Police officials also informed the Committee that notable progress has been made in implementing budgeted programmes related to drug prevention. Officials from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board briefed the Committee on the progress achieved under their purview as well.The Committee additionally reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government. The Ministry Secretary reported significant progress and noted that many suspended development projects have now resumed.Hon. Members of Parliament G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Dharmapriya Wijesinghe were also present at the committee meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection recently (Nov. 18) reviewed 12 performance reports and annual reports of institutions functioning under the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.The Committee met in Parliament on the 18th under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.Accordingly, the Committee examined the 2022, 2023 and 2024 performance reports of the Registrar’s Office of the Supreme Court, the 2023 and 2024 performance reports of Judges of Supreme Court, the 2022 Annual Report of the Supreme Court Complex Management Board, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.In addition, the Committee reviewed the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Official Languages, the 2020,2021,2022 & 2023 Annual Reports of the Official Languages Commission, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Institute of Language Education and Training, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Prisons, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Debt Conciliation Board.The Committee also inquired into audit observations related to these institutions, and relevant officials presented their explanations. Attention was also drawn to the current activities of these institutions, as well as existing issues and shortcomings. The Committee Chair informed officials to notify the Committee if amendments to the legal framework governing these institutions were necessary to ensure more efficient service delivery, and assured the Committee’s support in facilitating such changes.Further, regarding the 2024 Annual Performance Report of the Department of Community Based Corrections, it was noted that the Auditor General’s report highlighted the incomplete construction of the building for the Legal Aid and Community Correctional Office in Puttalam. The Committee requested a report on this matter.Accordingly, approval of the Committee was granted for all performance and annual reports reviewed, except for the 2023 and 2024 Annual Performance Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.Hon. Members of Parliament Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Major General (Retd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara, along with a group of government officials, participated in the Committee meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has examined the operation of private universities in Sri Lanka and the issues relating to their recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC).The matter was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on 21 November 2025, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage.During the discussion, the Committee Chair highlighted the emergence of institutions awarding degrees of inadequate quality and the resulting harm caused. He noted that many such institutions operate with profit-making as their primary objective rather than providing quality education. The Chair stressed the importance of ensuring that the entire process, from student admission to awarding of degrees remains under the supervision of the UGC.The Vice Chair of the UGC, expressing his views, underscored the need to establish a Higher Education Commission to regulate and monitor private universities and other degree-awarding institutions. He explained that such a body would enable the creation of comprehensive data systems and facilitate links with universities worldwide, allowing access to essential information on institutional standards and programme quality. This, he noted, would help ensure accurate decision-making when granting approval to prospective private universities. These comments were further supported by the Additional Secretary (Non-State Higher Education) of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, and by officials of the UGC.The Committee also focused on issues related to state universities, scholarships offered for foreign degree programmes, and other related matters.Hon. Members of Parliament Krishnan Keleichelvi, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage (Attorney-at-Law), Chanaka Madugoda, Thurairasa Ravikaran, and Sunil Rajapaksha, along with officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training and the UGC, were present at the discussion.
2025-11-25
Workplaces Must Be Designed to Enable the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities – MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva Persons with disabilities do not require sympathy, what they need is an environment that enables them to act and live independently, stated Hon. Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando. He made these remarks on 20th November 2025 while participating in the first programme conducted at the Ministry of Labour under the series of sensitization workshops planned across ministries as part of the work plan of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. The workshop was organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities with the support of the Australian Government and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), targeting frontline public-relations officials of the Ministry of Labour and its affiliated institutions. Hon. Minister Fernando noted that until society fully adopts the correct attitudes and understanding regarding persons with disabilities, legislation and regulations will continue to play a key role in promoting inclusion. However, he stressed that legal provisions alone are insufficient; creating an attitudinal shift in society is essential to ensure meaningful participation. He also emphasized the importance of generating opportunities for persons with disabilities within the private sector. Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Member of parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, highlighted that workplaces in Sri Lanka must be designed to accommodate persons with disabilities. Sensitization, he noted, must come first in order to effectively implement such changes. He further stressed the need to remove all barriers that hinder persons with disabilities from participating in the nation’s economic activities, enabling them to become contributors to the economy rather than dependents. During the programme, resource persons with disabilities educated participants on the challenges faced by the community and shared their experiences in the world of work, including barriers to employment and workplace accessibility. The Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities plans to extend these sensitization programmes across all ministries in the coming months. The event was attended by, Secretary to the Ministry of Labour Mr. S. M. Piyathissa, officials of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, IFES Sri Lanka Deputy Country Director Indraka Ubeysekara, IFES Programme Officer Ms. Anojitha Sivasakaran and representatives of organizations working for persons with disabilities.
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