2025-03-11
News Categories : Committee News
Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Hon. Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, stated that the process of healing between communities should be undertaken and that the government is making the necessary interventions in this regard.
The Minister made these remarks during the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for the Tenth Parliament, held under his chairmanship on 2025.03.08. The Hon. Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake was also present at this meeting.
The Minister made this statement when an inquiry was raised during the Committee regarding a temple constructed in the Jaffna Walikamam North area. He pointed out that he intends to visit the location for an inspection and expects to take a more just intervention accordingly.
Furthermore, the Minister stated that this time, with the support of the Department, the stock of 50 metric tons of dates received as a gift from the Saudi government was distributed very fairly among thousands of mosques. He also mentioned that he had received reports of irregularities in the past regarding the distribution of these dates and that, for the first time in history, the distribution was carried out in a fair and transparent manner.
A prolonged discussion was held regarding a request made on behalf of a group of workers who lost their employment from a private company established under the Central Cultural Fund for cultural conservation and construction activities. Officials stated that these individuals were temporarily employed. However, due to a court ruling instructing that they be reinstated and paid their salary in arrears, an amount of Rs. 55.9 million has to be paid by the Central Cultural Fund. It was also revealed that the Central Cultural Fund has obtained a writ order concerning this decision, temporarily halting the payment.
The Minister pointed out that due to the lack of proper guidance from officials and political authorities, the proper regularization of this group, recruited in 2012, has not been carried out for 13 years. He further stated that his government has to deal with past mistakes but is working more intelligently to resolve them.
The need for the registration of Christian priests was also discussed at this meeting. Officials stated that this longstanding issue was identified and that a process for registering Christian denominations, churches, and priests was initiated last year. Accordingly, relevant application forms have been published on the website.
The possibility of utilizing the income received by ‘Basnayaka Nilame’ and ‘Kapu Mahaththaya’ for the development of the country in some manner was also expressed as an opinion. The Minister stated that the temporary ‘Basnayaka Nilame’ appointed for the Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devalaya has disclosed that the temple’s income from offerings for a month amounts to Rs. 6.2 million. He emphasized that this sector should therefore be reconsidered from a new perspective.
Attention was also drawn to the registration of Muslim mosques and Jummah mosques. It was revealed that for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, a quota of 3,500 pilgrims has been allocated for Sri Lanka and the cost per person was Rs. 2.1 million. Since a profit of nearly Rs. 300,000 per pilgrim is considered unfair, the necessity of providing further relief to the pilgrims was discussed. The Minister instructed officials to explore the available options for this purpose.
Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and officials from institutions under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs participated in this Ministerial Consultative Committee meeting.
2026-03-30
Progress on the implementation of recommendations issued by the COPA on 06th January 2026 was reviewed Matters relating to the 2024 Auditor General’s Report and current performance were also examined The Department of Archaeology was summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), where attention was drawn to the progress made in implementing the recommendations issued at the COPA meeting held on 06th January 2026, as well as to the current performance of the Department.These matters were discussed at the COPA meeting held in Parliament on 19th March 2026 under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to examine the Auditor General’s triennial report for the years 2021–2023, the 2024 Auditor General’s Report, and the current performance of the Department of Archaeology.At its meeting on 06th January 2026, it was recommended that a report on the gazetted and ungazetted antiquities identified by the Department of Archaeology be submitted to the Committee within a month. However, the Auditor General’s Department pointed out that data relating to antiquities not declared by Gazette had still not been submitted to the Committee. Accordingly, the Chair of the Committee instructed that a report be submitted within two weeks, including details of such antiquities, reasons for not publishing them by Gazette, and a proposed timeline for their gazetting.The Committee also focused on the lack of progress in implementing the recommendation to establish a centralized data system for the Department of Archaeology, and instructed that a progress report on this matter be submitted to the Committee.Furthermore, it was revealed that although Cabinet approval stipulates that 25% of the revenue generated by the Central Cultural Fund should be allocated to the Ministry of National Heritage, the Department of Archaeology has been requesting a lower allocation annually. Officials who appeared before the Committee stated that funds allocated through Cabinet approval had remained unutilized, and that there are plans to reduce future allocations requested from the Treasury accordingly.The shortage of vehicles available to the Department was also discussed, with officials noting that this has significantly affected the institution’s performance. The Committee stated that it would take steps to raise this matter with the relevant authorities.The meeting was attended by Committee Member Hon. Deputy Minister Dinindu Saman Hennayake and Hon. Members of Parliament (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Hector Appuhamy, Chanaka Madugoda, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, and Ruwanthilaka Jayakody.
2026-03-30
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports has granted approval for the regulations under the “Convention Against Doping in Sports Act.” These regulations have been published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2471/51 dated 16 January 2026.The approval was granted at a meeting of the Committee held recently (Mar. 20) in Parliament, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, with the participation of the Hon. Deputy Minister, Dinindu Saman Hennayake.A number of Member Parliamentarians of the Committee, as well as non-member Parliamentarians, were present at the meeting. Officials, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, also attended the occasion.
2026-03-30
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability has instructed officials to immediately prepare a plan for the environmentally friendly disposal of ash emitted from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant.These instructions were given at a meeting of the Committee held in Parliament on the Mar. 17th, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy.It was revealed during the meeting that, due to issues related to the quality of coal imported to Sri Lanka for power generation, the volume of ash emitted during electricity generation has increased significantly. The Committee noted that if this ash is not properly disposed of, there is a risk of future environmental damage. Accordingly, officials were directed to formulate a plan under the leadership of the District Secretary of the Puttalam District to take the necessary measures.It was also proposed that the possibility of reusing the removed ash for production purposes be studied, and that any revenue generated from such products be utilized for welfare projects benefiting the communities affected by the power plant.In addition, the Committee instructed the Central Environmental Authority to submit a comprehensive report on whether water and air pollution have occurred as a result of the Norochcholai Power Plant. Furthermore, the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority was also recommended to provide responses within two weeks regarding the questionnaire and related matters submitted by the Committee in connection with the Norochcholai Power Plant.Officials of the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority stated that although the volume of ash emitted from the plant has increased, the filtration system in use at the plant is sufficient to absorb these particles. Several matters, including the issuance of environmental protection licenses for the power plant, were discussed in detail.The meeting was attended by Committee Members, Hon. Members of Parliament Kings Nelson, Roshan Akmeemana, Attorney-at-Law Chithral Fernando, Susantha Kumara Navaratne, Kitnan Selvaraj and Upul Kithsiri.
2026-03-24
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, met for the first time on 19.03.2026 at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa.Addressing the meeting, the Chair emphasized the importance of gaining a clear understanding of how the relevant responsible institutions operate during natural disasters such as Cyclone Ditwah, in order to effectively carry forward the work of the Committee. Accordingly, it was decided to summon officials from the Disaster Management Centre, the Department of Meteorology, the Department of Irrigation, and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka to the next two committee meetings to obtain the necessary preliminary briefings.It was also proposed that, given the subject-specific scope of the Committee, officials possessing technical expertise and specialized knowledge in relevant fields should be called before the Committee from time to time to assist in understanding complex technical matters. The Chair noted that the Committee is required to submit its report to Parliament within three months from the date of its first meeting by 19.06.2026. Accordingly, efforts will be made to hold meetings promptly and prepare the report, including relevant recommendations, within this timeframe. He further stated that, in addition to proposals related to the Committee’s scope, the report is expected to include recommendations aimed at establishing a stronger mechanism to effectively respond to future events similar to Cyclone Ditwah.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Anuradha Jayaratne (Attorney-at-Law), Hector Appuhamy, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.K.M. Aslam, Anushka Thilakaratne (Attorney-at-Law), Kanthasamy Prabhu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam. Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa also attended with the special permission of the Chair.
Handbook of Parliament
The System of Elections in Sri Lanka
How Parliament Works
Business of Parliament
Copyright © The Parliament of Sri Lanka.
All Rights Reserved.
Design & Developed by TekGeeks
