2025-03-03
News Categories : Committee News
The release of water to farmlands for commencement of Yala season after March 15th was discussed at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation. This was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on 28.02.2025 under the chairmanship of the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, K.D. Lal Kantha.
Hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne said that it is planned to release water for paddy fields after March 15th with the expectation of commencing cultivation of a larger area of land during the Yala season. The Deputy Minister further stated that all paddy fields will be cultivated by the end of April.
The Hon. Members also drew the attention of the Committee to the existing issues related to the reclamation of paddy lands. While briefing the programme “Eka Mitata Govi Bimata”, the committee chairperson emphasized that this is not a programme for cultivating barren paddy fields. He further stated that crops that can be cultivated in each area should be identified on a scientific basis and those crops can be cultivated with the approval of the Agricultural Commissioner of the relevant area.
The committee also discussed the maize stocks required by the country. Officials informed the committee that 275,000 metric tons of maize had been imported for animal feed between 2024 and January 31, 2025. The chairperson mentioned that the import of maize was halted after January 31, 2025. However, he also noted that while the annual maize requirement is 600,000 metric tons, the country’s maize production is insufficient to meet this demand. As a result, the chairperson stated that maize imports would need to resume in the future. Additionally, the committee highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs if maize imports are resumed. Furthermore, a plan has been developed to expand the area dedicated to maize cultivation in the country to 20,000 hectares.
Attention was also drawn to the issues existing in the country's irrigation systems and the measures to be taken to resolve them. The committee chairperson, said that special attention will be paid to the irrigation issues existing in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Meanwhile, the annual report of the Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Limited for the year 2021/2022, the annual report of the National Institute of Post Harvest Management for the year 2022, the annual report of the National Livestock Development Board for the year 2019, the annual report of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau for the year 2023 and the annual performance report of the Department of Animal Production and Health for the year 2023, the annual performance report of the Ministry of Irrigation for the year 2023, the annual performance report of the Irrigation Department for the year 2023 and the performance report of the Department of Agrarian Development for the year 2019 were presented to the Committee for consideration.
Hon. Ministers, Hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Hon. Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, Hon. Members of Parliament including Committee Members, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation were present at this 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.
2025-11-27
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 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.
2025-11-26
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.
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