2022-11-23
News Categories : Committee News
Hon. Roshan Ranasinghe, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs instructed the Ministry officials to call for a written inquiry from the Sri Lanka Cricket Select Committee the reason for the non-inclusion of Chamika Karunaratne in to the National Team in the event that the player has become the man of the series in the last two cricket tournaments and having being ranked second in cricket rankings.
The Members of Parliament said that there is a speculation that when selecting players for the Sri Lankan cricket team, only players belonging to a certain religious group are selected, and there is a rumor that the cricketer Chamika Karunaratne, who has performed well in the past, was not selected to the national team because he did not agree with the particular religious ideology.
These views were expressed at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Sports and Youth Affairs meeting held in Parliament recently (Nov. 22) under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Hon. Roshan Ranasinghe.
It was also expressed that officials who went abroad with the sponsorship of the Sri Lanka Cricket Institute to participate in the last Cricket World Cup should be looked into. The Members of Parliament also mentioned that an amount of 800 dollars per day has been paid to one person with all the facilities and non-officials have also participated in the trip receiving the same facilities. Furthermore, the councilors pointed out that a formal regulation regarding the use of money in conducting T20, T10 and LPL tournaments is necessary with the intervention of the Sports Ministry.
The Minister stated that Bellwood Aesthetics Resort will be developed as Bellwood Aesthetic Academy to provide the NVQ 6 internationally recognized certification. The Minister said that in addition to the existing subjects, steps will be taken to introduce new subjects such as acting, costume design, television and film production technology, and a studio complex with all the necessary technical equipment will be built and steps will be taken to upgrade it to the status of Hollywood and Bollywood film industries in 2023.
The Members expressed their gratitude for the minister's attention and action on the concerns faced by the children of Bellwood Institute, especially pertaining to the lack of a full-time principal as well as food and transportation concerns.
The Minister also instructed the officials to immediately investigate the demolition of the 4-storey building on the 50-acre land where the Bellwood Aesthetics Resort is located by the then chairman during 2015-2019 and take legal action against it.
It was also discussed that the turf of the only international level hockey field in Sri Lanka is not of a standardized level due to lack of proper maintenance. The Members of Parliament expressed their views on the need to reorganize it and maintain it for the future of hockey. The officials mentioned that the Asian Hockey Federation has agreed to develop it on the basis that 50% of the financial contribution is made by Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, it was also expressed regarding the dilapidated synthetic track of the Diyagama stadium, and due to this, the Parliamentarians pointed out that apart from the Sugathadasa stadium, there is no track for the players to practice.
It was discussed that the indoor playground of the Maharagama Youth Council has become dilapidated due to getting wet during the rainy season as a result of lack of proper maintenance. The chairman of the Youth Services Council said that he is holding talks with the Japanese Embassy to renovate this building, which was built using Japanese aid and technology. The chairman also mentioned that the Minister has given instructions to use the income earned by the Youth Service Council for its maintenance.
It was emphasized that the provincial and regional sports are being destroyed due to the non-functioning of the provincial councils and the councilors also requested the attention of the minister as it has a negative effect on the emergence of players at the national level. It was also expressed that the Ministry of Sports should start a program to regulate the functioning of various sports federations across the country.
Views were also expressed about the possibility of inviting sports associations to the committee for discussion, and the chairman gave instructions to the secretary of the committee to carry out further procedures in this regard.
State Minster Hon. Rohana Dissanayaka, members of Parliament Hon. (Dr.) Sarath Weerasekera, Hon. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana, Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Hon. Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Hon. Jagath Samarawickrama, Hon. Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Hon. Sampath Athukorala, Hon. Mayadunna Chinthak, Hon. Waruna Liyanage, Hon. Mohomad Muzammil, Hon. Mujibur Rahuman, Meinistry of Sports and affiliated institutions were present at the Committee meeting held.
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.
2025-11-27
The appointments of three chairmen of state-owned institutions were approved by the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts yesterday (Nov. 26).Accordingly, the appointments of Dr. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr. M.D.C.A. Perera as the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, and Eng. P.V.A. Hemalal, as the Chairman of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Limited, were approved by the Committee on High Posts.The meeting was chaired by Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and a group of members of the committee participated in this 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.
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