2021-11-19
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) disclosed that 214 employees recruited in 2018 for the project of issuing one million deeds by the Land Reforms Commission have been confirmed without the permission of the Department of Management Services. It was revealed that the recruitments were made on a contract basis with the approval of the Cabinet and since then, the group has been confirmed on the basis of a circular issued in 2014. COPE Chairman (Prof.) Charitha Herath pointed out that a serious error had been made by confirming a group of recruits who were recruited for a project without the permission of the Department of Management Services and that this situation set a wrong precedent for other government agencies as well.
Accordingly, the COPE Chairman instructed the Mr. R.A.A.K. Ranawaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development to conduct a formal investigation at the Ministerial level and submit a full report to the COPE within a month and to take immediate action to rectify this situation.
These facts were disclosed at the COPE meeting held chaired by Prof. (Prof.) Charitha Herath recently (17) to examine the Auditor General's reports for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the current performance of the Land Reforms Commission.
The COPE Chairman pointed out that the extent of lands acquired during land acquisition by the Land Reforms Commission established under the Land Reforms Act No. 01 of 1972 and the lack of accurate data on the lands which were disposed by each government during the period was a serious concern. It was revealed that the Commission now owns nearly 1.7 million acres of land and that value is not accurate. The Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development pointed out that this was due to the lack of proper surveying during the acquisition of lands and the transfer of lands under various governments.
The Committee pointed out that since it is essential for the Commission to have accurate data as well as valuation on these lands which are the main assets of the Commission, it is essential that the lands be properly assessed and a definite document with a basis be prepared in this regard. The COPE Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to prepare an expeditious program and inform the COPE on the possibility of using modern drone technology for this purpose.
The Committee stressed the need to digitize the data on these lands using modern technology. The committee pointed out that it would solve many problems, including various irregularities, and instructed the Secretary to intervene immediately.
The Chairman of the Land Commission stated that some files pertaining to the acquisition have been lost. It was revealed that nearly 200 such files have been lost. The Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to look into this matter immediately.
The Committee emphasized the need to rectify this situation as land grabbing by people has become a serious problem instead of putting it to more effective use. It was also revealed that out of the lands acquired under the Land Reforms Act of 1972-1974, there are 260 unoccupied 50-acre lands due to non-submission of plans and declarations. Accordingly, the Committee instructed the Secretary to the Ministry and the Chairman of the Land Commission to open a special window and intervene to resolve this issue within the next six months as this process which has been delayed for 50 years has become a historical issue.
Though the valuation of nearly 1.7 million acres of land owned by the Commission many years ago was mentioned Rs. 676 million, the committee pointed out that the value should be corrected according to the present status. As the value of an acre is around Rs. 500, the COPE Chairman instructed the Chairman of the Land Commission to take necessary action within six months to rectify this problem immediately.
It was also revealed that after leasing the lands of the Commission, it has become a problem to obtain loans by mortgaging those lands to the banks. It was revealed that this occurs due to the fact that the businessmen have the ability to obtain a mortgage with the permission of the Commission as stated in the terms of the transfer of the land they have obtained. There was also a question as to whether certain lands would be utilized effectively after being handed over to the Divisional Secretaries.
Commenting on this, the COPE Chairman said that the main task at present is to identify the extent of assets owned by the Commission and to prepare a model for its effective organization. Prof. Herath said that as this is a matter of national interest, the committee will be reconvened in the future to work out a definite plan with the stakeholders including the Survey Department.
Hon. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Hon. State Minister Indika Anuruddha, Hon. Members of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka, (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratna, Nalin Bandara, Madhura Withanage were present at the committee meeting.
2026-10-30
A special meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at the Parliament premises under the chairmanship of the Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Member of Parliament. Australian High Commissioner H. E. Matthew John Duckworth and a group of officials, along with representatives of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), also participated in the meeting.During the meeting, the Deputy Co-Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, made a detailed presentation on the work carried out by the Caucus and the progress achieved over the past one and a half years.He stated that the Caucus had organized a series of district-level consultations involving persons with disabilities and relevant government officials. The consultations in the Northern Province and Kalutara District have been successfully completed, and plans are underway to conduct similar programmes in six more districts.Proposals for next year's Budget have also been collected with the participation of more than 50 organizations representing the disability community. The Caucus has proposed introducing a separate budget line for persons with disabilities in the budget estimates of every ministry to ensure that their needs are adequately addressed.The Caucus is also taking steps to introduce a new Disability Bill in line with international standards to replace the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 28 of 1996. In addition, work is underway to introduce a Sign Language Act and make necessary amendments to the special education sector.With the intervention of the Chair of the Caucus, a WhatsApp video call service has also been launched to enable persons with hearing impairments to contact the Police Emergency Service on 119 using sign language during emergencies. The service is supported by police officers trained in sign language.Dr. Padmanathan Sathyalingam further highlighted the achievements of the Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, who received the 2026 Commonwealth New Parliamentarian Award presented by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in recognition of his outstanding service. He also noted that the election of Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva to the Tenth Parliament as a representative of the disability community was a historic achievement for Sri Lanka.Addressing the meeting, the Australian High Commissioner stated that ensuring the advancement of persons with disabilities alongside other members of society is a key objective of democratic governance and Australia's foreign policy. He also expressed Australia's interest in providing long-term support for policy and legislative reforms, including the development of data systems and the preparation of sign language dictionaries.The Chair of the Caucus emphasized that a comprehensive Action Plan covering the needs and priorities of the disability community had been presented to guide the Caucus's future work. He reaffirmed the Caucus's commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka.Several Members of Parliament who are members of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities also attended the meeting.
2026-10-29
Committee raises concerns over security and internal control weaknesses, financial management issues and the need to amend the University ActA loss of Rs. 8,442,091 has been incurred due to the theft of 2,199 metres of copper strips belonging to the lightning protection system of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital, it was revealed at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).The Committee, chaired by the Hon. Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, Member of Parliament, met at Parliament recently (Oct. 21) and summoned the management of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to examine the Auditor General’s Reports for 2023 and 2024, as well as the university’s current performance and operations.It was revealed that a civilian contract worker and a member of the Navy had been arrested and produced before the court in connection with the theft of copper strips in 2022 and 2023. However, the Committee questioned the discrepancies between the total quantity of copper strips reported as stolen and the quantity recovered by the Police. It also sought explanations regarding inconsistencies in the measurements recorded in documents relating to the items produced as court evidence.The Committee also discussed weaknesses in the hospital’s asset management and internal control systems. Its attention was drawn to the failure to maintain proper records of assets and their quantities since the hospital began operations, the lack of proper assignment of responsibilities to officers for electrical and lightning protection systems, and the failure to conduct scheduled maintenance inspections.The Committee also questioned the use of aluminium wires instead of copper when restoring the lightning protection system following the theft. It sought clarification on whether the technical standards and safety of the system had been properly ensured.The Committee extensively examined issues affecting hospital services, including the underutilisation of certain wards, operating theatres and intensive care units at the hospital, which has a capacity of more than 800 beds. The shortage of medical officers and other staff was also discussed.To address the continuing problems at the hospital, the Committee instructed the administrative authorities to promptly decide whether the hospital should operate under a government hospital model or a private hospital model and take the necessary action accordingly. The Committee stressed that failure to reach a clear decision and implement appropriate measures could further worsen the existing problems.The Committee also considered issues relating to the repayment of foreign loans obtained for the construction of the hospital, the prolonged delay in the construction of an auditorium, and audit observations concerning the financial and administrative controls of CUE Technologies Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a company affiliated with KDU.The need to amend the existing University Act without delay was also emphasised to strengthen the university’s governance structure and address the identified administrative and management issues. It was noted that instructions had already been given to proceed with the amendment process, taking into account shortcomings identified previously. The importance of expediting the relevant legal and administrative procedures was also highlighted.The Chair of the Committee emphasised the importance of making more effective use of public resources by increasing the hospital’s operational capacity, addressing staff shortages, improving medicine management and strengthening the university’s financial and administrative control systems.Several Hon. Members of Parliament attended the meeting, including Attorney-at-law Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahuman, Attorney-at-law Nilanti Kottahachchi, Samanmali Gunasinghe, Dr. S. Sribavanandarajah, Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Prageeth Madhuranga, Jagath Manuwarna, Sunil Rajapaksha, Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, Thilina Samarakoon, Chandima Hettiarachchi and Dinesh Hemantha.The Commanders of the three Armed Forces and a group of officials from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University also participated in the meeting.
2026-10-29
An islandwide special national programme will be held on 2nd November under the leadership of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Ministry of Health to promote early detection of breast cancer, one of the most commonly reported cancers among women in Sri Lanka, and raise public awareness of the disease.The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, held under the chairpersonship of Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Chairperson of the Caucus.At the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Health explained the current situation regarding breast cancer and the importance of early detection. Approximately 6,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported in Sri Lanka annually, while around 1,000 women die from the disease each year. Although breast cancer can be completely cured when detected at an early stage, delays in seeking treatment due to fear, embarrassment or a lack of awareness remain a major challenge.Accordingly, on Monday, 2nd November, women Members of Parliament are scheduled to organize health clinics and awareness programmes at the electorate and district levels and participate directly in these initiatives. Plans have also been made to demonstrate active participation in Breast Cancer Awareness Month through the use of pink symbols, including pink ribbons and pink wristbands, as well as pink clothing, among women Members of Parliament and school and university students.Special attention will be given to encouraging women in rural communities, plantation areas, urban high-rise housing complexes and underserved areas to attend Suwanari Clinics. As only around 50% of women aged 35–45 currently attend these clinics, efforts will be made to encourage more women in this age group to make use of the facilities available at designated cancer early-detection centres.A comprehensive programme is also planned for implementation next year to refer all women aged 35–45 for screening tests, bringing together relevant stakeholders, including women’s societies operating at the Grama Niladhari division level. In addition, the meeting discussed conducting cervical cancer awareness programmes in January under the leadership of women Members of Parliament.The meeting also focused on gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and the care economy. Discussions were held on obtaining technical advisory support to facilitate the implementation of the National Care Policy and the incorporation of gender-responsive policies into the budgetary process.Furthermore, the need to expedite amendments to address existing shortcomings in legislation relating to the prevention of domestic violence, maintenance, and the prohibition of corporal punishment against children was emphasized. The importance of coordinating with the Ministry of Justice to advance these amendments was also highlighted.The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees of Parliament Hemali Weerasekara, Deputy Co-Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Hon. Member of Parliament Attorney-at-Law and Chamindrani Kiriella, several women Members of Parliament serving on the Caucus, officials from the Ministry of Health, and representatives of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in Sri Lanka participated in the discussions.
2026-10-28
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism met in Parliament on the Oct. 23rd, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath.The Committee discussed the measures taken to ensure the safety and welfare of Sri Lankan workers employed in Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Ministry officials explained the steps taken to arrange special flights for workers whose travel had been delayed due to flight cancellations. They also outlined arrangements to provide temporary accommodation and meals when necessary.The importance of entering into agreements with foreign countries to ensure the safety and welfare of Sri Lankan workers seeking employment abroad was also discussed.In addition, the Committee discussed difficulties in using Russian roubles for trade transactions with Russia and possible alternative payment methods.Matters relating to the safety and welfare of Sri Lankans living and working overseas, foreign employment agreements and the implementation of tourism projects were also discussed.A group of Members of Parliament and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism attended the meeting.
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