2023-11-27
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security drew attention to the fact that some people were getting the services of private security guards for their own protection.
This was discussed when the said committee met in Parliament on 22.11.2023 under the chairmanship of Hon. (Dr.) Sarath Weerasekera, Member of Parliament.
The members of the committee pointed out that the public is facing some oppressive situations due to some people who are escorted by private security guards. The senior police officers said that legally the police cannot intervene in the personal security of a person. However, the committee pointed out that since the personnel of those private security services use weapons, certain regulation is necessary. The Committee decided to inform the Ministry of Defense to prepare criteria for regulating private security services.
There was also a lengthy discussion in the committee about the growth of underworld activities. It was also revealed in the committee that certain persons in the service of the armed forces show an increase in resorting to committing crimes. The Inspector General of Police pointed out that there is some weakness in the identification of criminals. The IGP further commented that if there are competent OICs to identify criminals in their areas, crimes can be prevented before it happens and therefore attention has been paid to identify competent police OICs and send them to the respective areas for service.
Drug control was also discussed at length in the committee. The police officials pointed out that the drug traffickers are working to make the school children addicted to drugs by giving them pills. They further commented that the first thing that should be done in drug control is to prevent those drugs from entering the country. The committee also discussed the need for strict enforcement of laws such as confiscation of property of drug traffickers.
The chairman pointed out that the country loses a large number of lives due to road accidents. The chairman recalled that 29,000 war heroes died in the 30-year war in Sri Lanka, and 27,000 people died in road accidents in the last 10 years alone. Accordingly, the Chairman instructed to purchase the necessary equipment as soon as possible to identify the drivers, who drives under the influence of drugs and provide them to the police stations all over the island.
It was pointed out that there has been an increase in robberies and most of them are due to the carelessness of people. The police pointed out that it is very important for people to pay more attention to their houses, buildings and other properties.
Members of Parliament Hon. Rauf Hakeem, Hon. Chandima Weerakkodi, Hon. (Prof.) Channa Jayasumana, Hon. Charles Nirmalanathan, Hon. (Dr.) Major Pradeep Undugoda, Hon. (Major) Sudarshan Denipitiya as well as the officials including the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Inspector General of Police were present.
2026-09-18
Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, MP (Parliament of Sri Lanka) was awarded the 2026 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of his contribution to promoting inclusive parliamentary democracy. The award was officially presented to him yesterday (Sep. 17) at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa.Elected in November 2024 as Sri Lanka's first-ever blind Member of Parliament, he has advanced the principles of disability-inclusive governance through his work as Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. Through cross-institutional collaboration, he has also delivered practical reforms, best exemplified through Sri Lanka's first national participatory budget consultation with persons with disabilities.
2026-09-18
The Select Committee of Parliament to conduct a comprehensive study on the lack of preparedness to face Cyclone Ditwah and report to Parliament and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, has decided to summon representatives of Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils before the Committee to examine how local authorities coordinated their response during the disaster situation.Committee members particularly highlighted the need for further investigation into how local authorities, including Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils, were involved in official communication and coordination processes during the disaster.At a recent meeting of the Committee held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, information was sought from members of the National Council for Disaster Management and the District Secretaries of Kandy and Matale regarding the disaster management process in the Kandy and Matale districts.Accordingly, the Committee focused its attention on the early warning systems, communication among government institutions, and emergency response procedures in response to the heavy rainfall, landslides, and flooding experienced in these areas from 23 to 27 November 2025.The Committee also discussed the need to establish formal written procedures to be followed during emergency disaster situations, conduct disaster preparedness drills regularly, and further improve the efficiency of early warning systems.Committee members, including Hon. Deputy Ministers Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara and Anton Jayakody, and Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Anuradha Jayaratne, Rohini Kumari Wijerathne, Kanthasamy Prabu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, also participated in the meeting.
2026-09-17
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Energy Affairs approved the Order relating to the calling for investment proposals for the exploration and development of petroleum resources in Sri Lanka and the formalization of the relevant process.The approval was granted at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee held recently (Sep. 11) at Parliament under the chairmanship of Anura Karunathilaka, Hon. Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Energy.The Order, made by the Minister of Energy under Section 48 of the Petroleum Resources Act, No. 21 of 2021, read together with Section 17 of the said Act, and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, was published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2497/37 dated 16 July 2026.Under this Order, any person seeking to explore or develop petroleum resources in one or more identified blocks is required to submit an investment proposal together with payment of the administrative fee specified in the relevant invitation for bids.Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Illyas, Members of Parliament, officials of the Ministry of Energy, and other officials participated in the meeting.
2026-09-17
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, emphasized that universities must take the necessary measures to ensure that victim students have confidence in the investigations being conducted into incidents of ragging at universities.This matter was discussed at a meeting of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, convened under the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, which was held at Parliament under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.The meeting included an extensive discussion on measures to be taken regarding vacancies in the higher education sector, particularly at universities, as well as incidents of ragging.The Prime Minister pointed out that universities have a moral responsibility to prevent and control ragging and emphasized that students subjected to ragging must have confidence in the investigative procedures currently in place at universities.Accordingly, the Prime Minister stressed that investigations into ragging incidents must be efficient and effective and should be conducted in a manner that enables relief to be provided to victim students without delay.The Prime Minister also inquired from university vice-chancellors about the failure to date to make appointments that have already been approved by the Ministry to fill vacancies at universities. She instructed officials to take the necessary measures to fill the approved vacancies expeditiously.The meeting was attended by Hon. Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Social Empowerment; Hon. Dr. Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education; Hon. Member of Parliament Manjula Sugath Ratnayake; university vice-chancellors; the Chairman of the University Grants Commission; and a number of other representatives.
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