There shall be not more than Twenty Sectoral Oversight Committees of which the subjects and functions are determined by the Committee of Selection.
The Sectoral Oversight Committees shall function for the duration of Parliament and conduct its inquiries notwithstanding any adjournment or prorogation of Parliament.
The Sectoral Oversight Committees shall have the power to examine any Bill, except the Bills defined in Article 152 of the Constitution, Treaty, Reports including the Annual and Performance Reports relating to the institutions coming under its purview or any other matter referred to the Committee by Parliament or any Committee or a Minister relating to the subjects and functions within their jurisdiction.
The Sectoral Oversight Committees may conduct at any time such inquiries and investigations as it considers necessary or appropriate in the exercise of its responsibilities.
Each Sectoral Oversight Committee shall meet not less than two days of every month.
The Sectoral Oversight Committees shall have general oversight responsibilities in order to assist Parliament in—
(a) its analysis, appraisal and evaluation of the application, administration, execution and effectiveness of existing government policies;
(b) its activities for future research and forecasting for the formulation of alternative policies;
(c) its analysis, appraisal and evaluation of the application, administration, execution and effectiveness of legislation passed by Parliament and condition and circumstances that may indicate the necessity or desirability of enacting any new or additional legislation; and
(d) its formulation, consideration and enactment or changes in any law and of such additional legislation as may be necessary or appropriate.
(1) In order to determine whether any law, project or programme relating to subjects within the jurisdiction of a Sectoral Oversight Committee are being implemented effectively and carried out in accordance with the intent of Parliament and whether they should be continued, curtailed, or eliminated, each Sectoral Oversight Committee shall review and study on a continuing basis.
(2) The Sectoral Oversight Committees shall do all or any one or more of the following: —
(a) review and study the application, administration, execution, and effectiveness of legislative projects and programmes addressing subjects within its jurisdiction;
(b) review and study the organization and operation of Departments and Institutions having responsibilities for the administration and execution of legislative projects and programmes addressing subjects within its jurisdiction;
(c) review any conditions or circumstances that may indicate the necessity or desirability of enacting any new or additional legislation addressing subjects within its jurisdiction (whether or not a Bill or resolution has been introduced with respect thereto);
(d) review any subsidiary legislation including regulations of government ministries to ensure that they are consistent with the legislative intent for delegated responsibilities;
(e) examine the accounts of public corporations or institutions funded wholly or in part by Government;
(f) examine the suitability of any person who has been either appointed to any post or nominated to hold office in any post determined by the Cabinet of Ministers within the jurisdiction of that Sectoral Oversight Committee and to make recommendations in regard to such persons to the appropriate Ministry; and
(g) engage in future research and forecasting on subjects within its jurisdiction.
The Sectoral Oversight Committees may conduct at any time such investigations and studies as it considers necessary or appropriate in the exercise of its responsibilities.
Each Sectoral Oversight Committee may examine the suitability of any person who has been either appointed to any post or nominated to hold office in any post to any institution within the jurisdiction of that Committee and make recommendations in regard to such persons to the appropriate Ministry.
All Members of Parliament other than the following are eligible to serve as Members of any Sectoral Oversight Committee:—
(a) The Speaker;
(b) The Deputy Speaker;
(c) The Deputy Chairperson of Committees;
(d) The Prime Minister;
(e) The Leader of the House of Parliament;
(f) The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament; and
(g) The Ministers of Cabinet of Ministers appointed under Article 43(1) of the Constitution.
Ministers appointed under Article 45(1) of the Constitution and Deputy Ministers shall not be eligible to serve in any Sectoral Oversight Committee whose jurisdiction and related functions are the same as any subject, function, Department or Institution of the Minister of the Cabinet under whose purview such Minister or Deputy Minister functions:
Provided that, the Committee may invite the Minister, the Minister who is not a Member of the Cabinet of Ministers or the Deputy Minister to assist the Committee when a Bill is being discussed in the Committee.
The Committee of Selection shall in nominating Members to Sectoral Oversight Committees have due regard to numerical strengths of political parties and independent groups represented in Parliament in accordance with the nominations made by the leaders of such political parties and independent groups.
Any Member of Parliament, who is not a Member of a particular Sectoral Oversight Committee may be permitted to observe the Committee proceedings by the Chair of any such Committee.
Each Sectoral Oversight Committee shall at its first meeting and thereafter, at the first meeting after the Chair become vacant, elect a Chair from among the Members of the Sectoral Oversight Committee.
Any Member who absents from three consecutive meetings of any Sectoral Oversight Committee without obtaining prior leave of such Committee shall be deemed to have vacated his membership of such Committee.
Each Sectoral Oversight Committee may where it considers necessary appoint Sub-Committees of its own members to examine and report to such Committee, such matters as the Committee may deem necessary.
Any matter referred to a Sectoral Oversight Committee may not be taken up for consideration by Parliament until six weeks has lapsed from the date of the reference, unless the Parliament has directed otherwise as the Parliament may by resolution determine such period.
Every Sectoral Oversight Committee may in regard to any Bill or any other matter of public importance, call for evidence from any affected or interested party.
Every Sectoral Oversight Committee is empowered to summon persons and call for papers and records and shall submit to Parliament, Reports containing their opinion and observations together with the minutes of evidence taken before them.
Where a Sectoral Oversight Committee do the enactment of legislation or submit a non-legislative report, the Minister of the Cabinet to whom the relevant subject is assigned and has ministerial responsibility or if not assigned, the Prime Minister shall fulfil the recommendations laid down in the report within a period of eight weeks, and also submit a statement on actions proposes to take with regard to observations or if the Minister is of the view that particular recommendations may not be fulfilled, the Minister shall explain the reasons for this in writing and indicate alternative actions that the Minister proposes. If the Committee requires, the Committee may invite the relevant Minister to explain the position in person and to answer the questions that arise as to such matters within eight weeks.
(a) The Chair may invite not more than five (5) Youth Representatives between the age of 18 and 35 years to assist the Committee in respect of each matter taken up for inquiry before the Committee.
(b)With the permission of the Chair, the Youth Representatives summoned may give the opportunity to ask questions from the witnesses and peruse documents before the Committee.
However, the Youth Representatives will not have a vote in the Committee.
(c)The Chair may allow the views, observations and opinions of the Youth Representatives to be included in the Report of the Committee by way of an addendum to the Report, subject to any direction that the Committee may decide.
(d)Selection criteria for the Youth Representatives shall be decided on the guidelines set by the Committee of Selection.]
[Refer Standing Order No.111]
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Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fifth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Fourth Session | Sectoral Oversight Committees
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