2024-07-12
The Committee on Public Enterprises disclosed that a 6-acre land belonging to the Urban Development Authority located at James Peiris Mawatha, Colombo 02 was leased for 12 billion rupees for 99 years in 2019 without the approval of the Board of Directors. when drafting the lease agreement related to this land, it was disclosed that in addition to the lease conditions submitted and approved by the Board of Directors, other conditions were included that has not been approved by the Board of Directors.
However, it was disclosed at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that disciplinary investigations are underway against the Legal Director regarding the drafting of the relevant agreements and the development of the particular land has been at a halt thus far.
Details pertaining to the said matter was disclosed when the Committee on Public Enterprises met in Parliament recently (Jul. 9) under the Chairmanship of Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardana, Member of Parliament.
Furthermore, it was also disclosed that the Authority had to bear a loss of 330 million rupees due to the leasing of 2 acres 2 roods and 21.4 perches land bordering Fort D. R. Wijewardana Mawatha owned by the Urban Development Authority without the formal approval of the Board of Directors. Accordingly, the Chair instructed the officials to send a formal report on these incidents to the Committee within two weeks.
Presenting facts, the officials of the National Audit Department pointed out that they have identified the problematic situations in the accounting system of the Urban Development Authority. The officials pointed out that the manner in which the values of the project lands owned by the Authority have been assessed is also questionable. The officials of the audit department pointed out that the ownership of the land on which the Parliament complex stand is still held by the Urban Development Authority and gave instructions to transfer ownership of the land to the Parliament. Addressing the Committee, the Chair of the Committee instructed to send a complete report containing all the details of all the investment lands owned by the Urban Development Authority to the Committee within two weeks.
The Urban Development Authority has completed 13,602 houses in 22 housing projects using 48,156 million government funds under the Urban Revitalization Program for ghetto dwellers living around Colombo. However, the officials of the audit office pointed out that 66 houses in such apartment complexes still remain vacant. Officials of the Urban Development Authority stated that measures will be taken to settle the owners of the vacant houses as soon as possible. However, the officials of the audit office pointed out that the condominium management certificate has been obtained for only one housing project out of the completed housing projects. As a result, it was disclosed that the Urban Development Authority has borne a sum of 667.6 million rupees for the maintenance of houses in 2023 and up until May 2024. Accordingly, the officials pointed out that after transferring the ownership of the houses to the relevant personnel, the responsibility of maintaining the houses will be removed from the Urban Development Authority.
Furthermore, the attention of the Committee was also drawn to the fact that not enough attention has been paid to provide facilities for parking the vehicles of the people who come to Colombo on a daily basis. The Committee pointed out that the work of the 2 parking garages proposed to be built by the authority itself was stopped in the middle of the year 2021 and so far, 230 million rupees have been spent. Accordingly, the Urban Development Officers informed the committee that the construction work has started to complete the work in such a way that these 2 car parks can be used in their current condition.
State Minister Hon. Indika Anuruddha Herath, Member of Parliament Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. Madhura Withanage, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. (Major) Sudarshana Denipitiya, Hon. Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha and Hon. Premnath C. Dolawatte, government officials were present at this Committee meeting held.
2026-09-25
The Committee on High Posts of Parliament recently granted approval for the appointment of a new Ambassador, a High Commissioner, and a chairperson of a state institution.The approvals were granted when the Committee on High Posts met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.Accordingly, the Committee approved the appointment of Mrs. Anzul Banu Jhan as the new Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines and Mr. Chandana Rohana Kumara Ambagolla as the new High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada.The Committee also approved the appointment of Mr. Nusith Kumarathunga as the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited.
2026-09-23
A special committee appointed by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development, to address the difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in obtaining driving licences, held its first meeting in Parliament recently, with particular attention focused on the steps that should be taken to make the process of obtaining driving licences more accessible and streamlined for persons with disabilities.At the meeting, attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Dinesh Hemantha and M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani, extensive discussions were held on the practical and legal challenges faced by persons with disabilities both in obtaining driving licences and in modifying and using vehicles to suit their respective disabilities.Attention was drawn to the medical examinations conducted by the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI), the medical recommendations issued based on the nature of a person’s disability, and the procedure for issuing driving licences accordingly. Discussions also focused on conducting medical examinations at district level, expanding the range of vehicle types for which driving licences may be issued to persons with visual impairments, taking into consideration medical criteria including the field of vision, installing appropriate safety equipment in vehicles, and proposed amendments to the relevant Gazette notifications.The legal framework governing the issuance of driving licences to persons with hearing impairments, the use of special identification signs, and the assistance of sign-language interpreters were also discussed. Attention was also given to procedures for modifying vehicles to suit the individual needs arising from a person’s disability.Proposals were also put forward regarding issuing licences to one individual for multiple vehicles, simplifying the medical examination process, and improving the online system between the National Transport Medical Institute and the Department of Motor Traffic.The need for the necessary amendments to the relevant Gazette notifications, expanding services at the regional level, and creating awareness among relevant institutions to make the process of obtaining driving licences more accessible and streamlined for persons with disabilities was also emphasised. The importance of taking further steps to ensure the transportation rights of persons with disabilities while ensuring road safety was also stressed.Officials of the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and other relevant representatives attended the meeting.
2026-09-23
The Promotion of Export Agriculture (Amendment) Bill was considered and approved at a recent meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability.The matter was discussed when the Committee, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, met on the occasion under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath.As part of the restructuring of the institutional structure of the Department of Export Agriculture, new positions were created and existing positions were upgraded, including changing the designation of “Director” to “Director General.” However, the relevant provisions of the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992, had not been amended accordingly. Furthermore, other related designations that required amendment had also not been revised. The necessary amendments have therefore been introduced through this Bill.It was also noted that the definitions of export agricultural crops referred to in the Act as “notified agricultural crops” have become practically incompatible with current production and market conditions. Accordingly, the need has arisen to revise and update the relevant definition so that it is appropriate for the present and future export agriculture sector.Accordingly, the Bill provides that, in place of the definition of the term “Export Agricultural Crop” in Section 19 of the Act, the term shall mean means any crop identified as a crop that have an export potential in addition to the local consumption other than paddy, vegetables, fruits, root crops and additional food crops belonging to the category of food crops and declared by the Minister in charge of the subject as “a notified agricultural crop” under section 2 of this Act. It further provides that any crop identified as a plantation crop shall not be included in this definition.The Committee also inquired into matters relating to the export of crops from Sri Lanka, including pepper. It was revealed that Sri Lanka exported 12,910 metric tonnes of pepper in 2025, with India being the country's largest buyer.Several members of the Committee, along with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, participated in the Committee meeting.
2026-09-23
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has decided to appoint a Parliamentary subcommittee to study the salary disparities arising when teachers are appointed to the Principals’ Service, as well as the resulting reluctance among senior teachers to enter the Principals’ Service, and to make recommendations in this regard.These matters were discussed when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital met in Parliament recently, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament, Attorney-at-Law Hesha Withanage.Particular attention was drawn to the salary disparity arising from the fact that, under the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service Minute issued on 22 October 2014, entry into the Principals’ Service from the Teachers’ Service is considered a “new appointment” rather than a “promotion.”Officials pointed out that this situation is further aggravated by the significant difference in salary increments when a teacher is appointed from Grade 1 of the Teachers’ Service to Grade III of the Principals’ Service. They also noted that, although an adjustment allowance was introduced under Circular No. 03/2014 to address the salary difference arising at the time of appointment to the Principals’ Service, a salary gap emerges again as the teacher’s service progresses because they do not receive the higher salary increments that they would have received had they remained in the Teachers’ Service.It was also discussed that, as a result, senior and experienced teachers in Grades 1 and 2-I of the Teachers’ Service are being discouraged from sitting for the Principals’ Service examination and entering the Principals’ Service. Accordingly, attention was drawn to amending the Service Minute so that entry into the Principals’ Service from the Teachers’ Service would be treated as a “promotion” rather than a “new appointment.”The procedure for granting promotions within the Teachers’ Service was also discussed. The Committee pointed out that a newly appointed teacher entering the service with a university qualification takes approximately 19 years of service to reach Grade 1 of the Teachers’ Service.Attention was also drawn to the direct recruitment of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) graduates to Grade 2 of the Teachers’ Service in accordance with the Teachers’ Service Minute.Meanwhile, it was revealed that a verbal agreement had been reached with the Public Service Commission to recruit B.Ed. graduates as teachers under the previous system until 2030. Accordingly, it was stated that a Cabinet Memorandum has been submitted to recruit B.Ed. graduates to Grade 2 of the Teachers’ Service during this year.It was also discussed that these recruitments are planned to be carried out separately from the ongoing recruitment process for 23,000 teachers, based on subject-specific vacancies existing at provincial level.The Committee also considered the need to give universities until 2030 to update B.Ed. degree programmes so that they correspond with the actual subject requirements of the school system. In particular, the Committee highlighted the need to introduce specialised B.Ed. programmes in fields such as Science, Mathematics and Primary Education.Meanwhile, the Committee also considered the issue of recovering excess salary payments made to 261 laboratory attendants and security guards in the Southern Province. It was revealed that approximately Rs. 50.8 million had been overpaid as a result of the employees being placed on the 12th salary step instead of the initial salary step of the relevant salary scale in 2008 and 2009.It was stated that the matter was identified in 2016 and was subsequently examined through an audit query in 2022. To date, Rs. 15.1 million has been recovered through the suspension of salary increments and deductions from salaries.The representatives who appeared before the Committee pointed out that the employees were not directly responsible for this administrative error and that their letters of appointment had specified a particular salary scale. Accordingly, the Committee decided to bring the matter to the attention of the Governor of the Southern Province by way of a letter, with a view to obtaining his positive intervention regarding the difficulties faced by the employees.
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