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Committees to monitor Ministries

Following a proposal by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for the establishment of Oversight Committees to monitor functions of vital sectors of government, the first meeting of Government and opposition MPs took place on Tuesday in Parliament under the Chairmanship of Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris.

Prof. Peiris heads the Committee appointed to draw up the necessary amendments to the Standing orders enabling the establishment of the Oversight Committees.

It was proposed at Tuesday's meeting that 17 sectoral Committees be formed initially covering a range of Ministries with wide powers to monitor their activities. Each sectoral Committee will have the power to send for and examine any persons including Cabinet Ministers, Non-Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Secretaries to Ministries and other public officials.

They could also call for papers and records, move from place to place and do all such acts as are necessary "for the fullest consideration of matters in the discharge of their duties, and to meet notwithstanding any adjournment of Parliament."

Significantly all sectoral Committees which would be empowered to monitor the Ministries will be headed by Members from the Opposition. This is in keeping with a pledge made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the general election campaign to co-opt the Opposition into parliament Committees for the efficient functioning of Ministries to ensure optimum benefit to the people. Speaking to Daily News Prof. Peiris said the Premier was keen to appoint the Oversight Committees with a view to strengthen Parliament.

"The idea is to set up 17 Committees with each Committee headed by a member of the opposition," Minister Peiris said.

He said the first Oversight Committee meeting was on Tuesday with him (Minister Peiris) as the Chairperson. The other members of the Committee are Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, Milinda Moragoda, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Rauf Hakeem and PA MPs V. Puthrasigamani, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, UNP MP R. Yogarajan, TULF MP R. Sampanthan and JVP MP Vijitha Herath.

According to Minister Peiris at Tuesday's initial meeting the members of the Committee were of the opinion that this was a timely initiative.

They were also of the view that the public too be given an opportunity to air its opinion in this regard. A second meeting is scheduled for June 4.

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