2021-08-06
News Categories : Committee News
Hon. Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, said that a Cabinet paper will be submitted in the future to ban 08 other items that are harmful to the environment. The Minister state the above while addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Environment in Parliament on the 05th August 2021.
The Minister stated that this includes polythene bags, plastic hopper holders, plastic dishes, plastic cups and plastic spoons.
Furthermore, Hon. Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera stated that the law banning lunch sheets will be strictly enforced with effect from the 01st of September. He instructed the officers to increase the number of raids with regard to the above.
Hon. Member of Parliament Madhura Withanage pointed out at the committee meeting that many environmental problems are arising in the society due to the improper disposal of the masks used in connection with the current COVID 19 pandemic.
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has informed the Committee that a guideline on the proper disposal of masks has been introduced and has been submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval.
The Chairman of the Committee, the Hon. Minister also acknowledged that the public should be more careful when disposing of masks.
The Secretary of Environment Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated that Local Government Institutions have a great responsibility in this regard.
The Committee paid special attention to the unauthorized construction of a hotel along the Mahaweli River in the Gannoruwa area. Hon. Parliamentarian Wasantha Yapabandara stated that this has been constructed by a powerful businessman in the area and as a result many environmental problems have been created. He further stated that the failure of the relevant institutions to take appropriate action in this regard is also a serious problem.
The Committee recommended that a special discussion be held on this matter expeditiously and that it be appropriate to conduct an observation tour of the site.
There are many unauthorized constructions on both sides of the Mahaweli River and special attention should be paid to remove them, said Hon. Parliamentarian Wasantha Yapabandara. He further stated that unauthorized constructions were often carried out on long weekends and the legal provisions available to local authorities to stop them were minimal.
The Chairman of the Committee also instructed the officials to pay special attention matters as such while amending the Environment Act.
The damage caused by the creation of islands along the Mahaweli River due to human activities are quite significant, Hon. Parliamentarian further pointed out at the committee meeting.
The Chairman of the Committee Hon. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera stated that a special program under the 'Surakimu Ganga' National Program to protect 103 rivers throughout the country has already been launched on the instructions of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Accordingly, the marking of the Kelani River reserve has already commenced, he said.
The need to conduct an environmental audit covering all major cities in the country was also discussed at the Committee meeting.
Hon. Members of Parliament Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, Amarakeerthi Athukorala, Kins Nelson, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha and a number of government officials were present at this committee meeting.
2025-07-28
A working Committee was appointed pertaining to the future activities of the Parliamentary Caucus on Arts and Cultural Affairs, established for the Tenth Parliament. The purpose of this working Committee is to implement the programmes expected to be carried out by the Caucus for the advancement of the arts and cultural sectors of the country and to obtain ideas and proposals from experts and scholars in the respective fields for that purpose. Hon. Members of Parliament Prof. Sena Nanayakkara, Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, Hiruni Wijesinghe, Attorney-at-Law, Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law, Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Susantha Dodawatta, Attorney-at-Law, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Dinesh Hemantha were appointed as members of this Committee. These appointments were made during the meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus on Arts and Cultural Affairs, held recently (Jul. 22) in Parliament, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Jagath Manuwarna, Chair of the Caucus. At this meeting, lengthy discussions were held regarding the steps that could be taken to uplift the cultural, literary, and arts sectors of the country, to promote the development of artists and professionals engaged in those fields, and on the necessity of fostering an interest among the general public and children in art appreciation. It was also proposed by the Member MPs that programmes should be initiated to create awareness among Members of Parliament and the parliamentary staff regarding the Parliamentary Caucus on Arts and Cultural Affairs. Hon. Members of Parliament Prof. Sena Nanayakkara, Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, Hiruni Wijesinghe, Attorney-at-Law, Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law, Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Susantha Dodawatta, Attorney-at-Law, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Dinesh Hemantha were present at this Committee meeting held.
2025-07-28
The recommendations of the Committee on High Posts, which met on the July 24th at Parliament approved the appointments of 5 new Ambassadors, a High Commissioner, and a Secretary to the Ministry. Accordingly, Miss. Sumadhurika Sashikala Premawardhane as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Indonesia, Mrs. C.A. Chaminda Inoka Colonne as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Federative Republic of Brazil, Mr. Mohamed Rizvi Hassen as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Maldives, Mr. L.R.M.N.P.G.B. Kadurugamuwa as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Turkey, Mrs. Ruwanthi Delpitiya as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal, and Mr. Marimuththu K. Pathmanaathan as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of South Korea have been recomended by the Committee on High Posts. Furthermore, the name of Miss. Ayesha Jinasena (PC) has also been recommended by the Committee on High Posts for the appointment as the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. The Committee on High Posts, chaired by Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister, comprised of the following Members of Parliament: Hon. Kumara Jayakody, Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney at Law, Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage, Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni, Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, and Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC.
2025-07-28
No shortage of very essential medical items – Ministry of Health officials The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health, Media and Women's Empowerment inquired into the medicine shortage and related matters at the Committee meeting held recently (Jul. 23), under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe. Officials from the Ministry of Health informed the Committee that the current shortage of medicines has arisen due to delays in placing orders in previous years. However, they assured the Committee that procurement process for the year 2026 has already taken commenced, and there will be no shortage in 2026. They further stated that by the end of this year, 80% to 90% of essential medicine items are expected to be available in the country. In response to an inquiry made by the Committee regarding the availability of very essential medical items, the Ministry officials confirmed that there is no shortage of such items at present. Furthermore, the Committee also considered and approved the Annual Reports for the years 2022 and 2023 of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation, and the Wijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Hospital. While reviewing these reports, the Committee raised concerns over unresolved audit queries related to these institutions. The Committee Chair recommended that an internal review mechanism be established within the Ministry to ensure timely and appropriate responses to audit observations. Hon. Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer, Hon. Members of Parliament (Attorney-at-Law) Dayasiri Jayasekara, Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan, (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, Samanmali Gunasingha, (Prof.) Sena Nanayakkara, (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah and Jagath Manuwarna were present at the Committee meeting. Officials representing the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, including Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Anil Jasinghe, also participated in the meeting.
2025-07-28
The proposed Education Reform Plan was taken into discussion at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital. The discussions were held when the Committee met on the Jul. 25th at Parliament, under the chairmanship of Hon. Hesha Withanage, Member of Parliament. Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewa, representatives of the National Education Commission, the Director General of the National Institute of Education, along with several other senior officials of the Ministry of Education, participated in this meeting. The Ministry officials explained in detail to the Committee the steps taken to prepare the proposed Education Reform Plan and also presented the steps taken in the past in this regard. The Chair of the Committee stated that experts from relevant sectors who have been involved in reforming the education sector in the past are expected to be consulted to examine the proposed Education Reform Plan more comprehensively. He further stated that the full support of the Committee will be extended to ensure the proper implementation of the Education Reform Plan. Committee Members also emphasized the need for properly structuring the syllabus when implementing reforms in the education sector and pointed out the factors that should be considered in that regard. Meanwhile, the attention of the Sectoral Oversight Committee was also drawn to the Samurdhi (Amendment) Bill. The Committee inquired into the operations of the Samurdhi Bank, and the relevant approval was granted to present the said Bill to Parliament for the Second Reading. Hon. Members of Parliament Sunil Rajapaksha, Chanaka Madugoda, Thurairasa Ravikaran, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney at Law, and Krishnan Kalaichelvi participated in this Committee meeting.
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