The Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, the Speaker took the Chair.


Announcements by the Speaker

‘A’ :  Conduct of some MPP during the Second Reading and the Committee Stage of the Bill entitled “Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Amendment)” on 09.08.2018
‘B’ :  Ruling on the Office of the Leader of the Opposition
‘C’ :  Meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business


Presentation of Papers

(i)    Annual Report of the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) for the year of 2016
(ii)    Annual Report of the Independent Television Network Ltd for the year of 2015
(iii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration for the year of 2016
(iv)    Annual Report of the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Eastern University for the year of 2016
(v)    Annual Reports of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency for the years of 2014 and 2015

(vi)    Annual Performance Report of the Ministry of Education for the year of 2017

(vii)    Report on the Submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order No. 119(4) of the Parliament with regard to the Report presented to the Parliament by the Committee on Public Accounts  regarding the performance of the Prime Minister’s Office in the year 2016
(viii)    Regulation made by the Minister of Finance and Mass Media under Section 5(15)  of the Value Added Tax Act, No. 14 of 2002 as last amended by the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, No. 20 of 2016,  relating to Value Added Tax and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2078/6 of 02nd  July 2018
(ix)    Regulations made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs under Section 4 of the Diplomatic Privileges Act, No. 9 of 1996 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2074/13 of 05th  June 2018
(x)    Order made by the Minister of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs under Section 25A of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 recognizing the Saegis Campus (Private) Limited as a Degree Awarding Institute and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2079/35 of 11th July 2018


Main Business of the House for Today

The following Motions (appearing as Item Nos. 1 to 5 of today’s Order Paper) were passed by the House:-

(i)    Preparing and implementing a programme to properly carryout disciplinary enquiries by Student Discipline Committees of Schools

That this Parliament resolves that a proper programme be prepared and implemented for taking action to carry out proper and impartial disciplinary enquiries into anti-disciplinary acts committed by school children as it is observed that some schools take steps to sack students from school without carrying out proper disciplinary enquiries into anti-disciplinary acts committed by those students thereby causing great injustice to such students disrupting their education and making most students mental patients due to severe mental pressure they are subjected to, and as there have been occasions where some children have become anti-social criminals who hate the entire teacher community as well as the entire society.

(ii)    Establishment of a state medical faculty affiliated to the Uva Wellassa University using Badulla General Hospital as a teaching hospital

That this Parliament resolves that a state medical faculty be established affiliated to the Uva Wellassa University using Badulla General Hospital as a teaching hospital in order to strengthen the state education and health services since there are only 50% of the doctors required to maintain the country’s health services at a optimum level are available and large number of students who obtain high marks in the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Biology stream are unable to enter the state medical faculties.

(iii)    Formulation of a programme for the enhancement of the  standards of cricket tournaments conducted at school and sports club levels

That this Parliament resolves that a programme be formulated for the enhancement of the  standards of the cricket tournaments conducted at school and sports club levels  in view of finding out competent players for the national team as Cricket  in Sri Lanka has encountered a serious collapse since the past few years.

(iv)    Implementation of existing laws in order to stop ragging that is presently taking place in all universities

That this Parliament resolves that, in order to completely prevent ragging that new students have to experience within or outside universities, law should be implemented in terms of Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998 against those who engage in ragging.

(v)    Launching an expeditious programme to preserve the costal belt of  Puttlam  district

That this parliament resolves that an expeditious programme should be launched to protect the coastal belt of Puttlam district even though the Puttlam district has been endowed with a very beautiful coastal belt, it has been polluted  owing to sea erosion, destruction of mangrove and  illegal constructions.


Motion at the Adjournment Time

Motion at the Adjournment Time on “Issues in Stafford Sri Lankan School in Doha, Qatar” was proposed by the Hon. Ashoka Priyantha.


The Parliament was, thereafter adjourned at 1512 Hrs. until 1000 Hrs. on Thursday 23rd August 2018.

*  This is an unedited version. For the official record of this day's proceedings, please refer the Hansard.