2024-05-17
News Categories : Committee News
The second session of the program series organize by the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities to discuss the challenges, issues, opportunities faced by persons with disabilities and the measures and proposals that can be taken to properly address them was held recently (May 13) at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat.
The programme was presided over by the Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, Member of Parliament Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma, and the co-chair of the caucus, Member of Parliament Hon. Madhura Withanage, Acting District Secretary of Kilinochchi District, Mr. S. Muralidaran, Secretary to the Ministry of Social Services of Northern Province, Mr. M. Wagish, Divisional Secretaries of Kandavalai, Karachi , Pachchileipalli, Punakari areas, Consultant of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Mrs. Shyama Salgadu, President of United Front of People with Disabilities Ms. Rasanjali Pathirage were present.
Persons with disabilities living in Kilinochchi district, representatives of organizations representing the disabled community in Kilinochchi district, officials of several educational institutions that provide education for children with disabilities in Kilinochchi district, and a group of liaison officers of public representatives of the area also participated in this event.
The necessary information and proposals were gathered to establish a coordination mechanism for improving the inclusion of people with disabilities into the country's governance structure and society.
The disabled people and organizations who participated in the discussion presented their issues, views and suggestions .
Addressing the meeting, the chair of the caucus, Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma, requested that a steering committee for persons with disabilities be established in relation to each District Coordination and Regional Coordination Committee in the Northern Province and that a special space be reserved on the agenda to discuss the issues of the disabled community in each coordination committee. The chair also pointed out the value of implementing the same process in every district of the island.
The caucus chair pointed out that every district of Sri Lanka has at least one school that receives government support for children with special needs, but there is only one school for all the five districts of the Northern Province. Ranjith Chandrasekhara, a Sri Lankan philanthropist living in the UK, has expressed his desire to build the school if land is given in Kilinochchi district, so he requested the District Secretary and the Social Services Secretary to allocate land for it. Also, the chair emphasized that the attention of the Hon. President will be drawn to restart the Kilinochchi Vocational Training Center, which is currently inoperative.
According to the 2012 census in Sri Lanka, 8.2% of the total population, nearly 1.7 million people, have been identified as persons with disabilities, the chair said. The chairman also emphasized the issue of the lack of a correct data system that includes information regarding persons with disabilities throughout the island.
Meanwhile, the disabled community expressed issues regarding the existing weaknesses in public transport facilities. Accordingly, arrangements have been made to import buses to be added to the Sri Lankan transport system and the necessary measures will be taken to deploy a number of the buses to facilitate the transportation of the disabled, the caucus co-chair, Member of Parliament Hon. Madhura Withanage said.
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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