PARLIAMENT

Adjournment Motion:

Focus on school uniform material quality, distribution

Parliament corrs

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody presided when Parliament met at 1pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up an adjournment motion on uniform material for schoolchildren for debate.

Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardene, yesterday informed the House that Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena, would respond to an adjournment motion on uniform material of the schoolchildren raised by DNA MP Ajith Kumara when the House meets the next time.

DNA MP Ajith Kumara moved an adjournment mortion on uniform material for schoolchildren in the absence of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

MP Ajith Kumara said that a number of schoolchildren from many schools across the country had not still received their uniform material.

The Education Ministry had failed in their duty of not by fulfilling this task. Though the first school term had ended, many schools in the country were yet to receive their uniform material.

It is reported that many misappropriations and malpractises had taken place in the distribution of school uniform material.

There are a number of problems pertaining to the quality, size, colour and texture of the material.

The Ministry should intervene on this issue with immediate effect as to why the Ministry delayed in providing the children with uniform material, since the Government had already allocated sufficient funds to import the material.

A H M Azwer takes the Chair

UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana said the quality of the uniform material for schoolchildren was very inferior.

The Education Ministry should conduct an inquiry to ascertain as to who was responsible for importing substandard quality uniform material to Sri Lanka.

The Education Ministry should also take measures to provide the required uniform material to schoolchildren who have not received their school uniforms so far.

The House was adjourned until May 3.

Legal issues prevent debate

Parliament corrs

Sittings in Parliament lasted for barely an hour yesterday, as the four Bills scheduled for debate in the House could not be taken up due to legal issues.

Sittings which commenced at 1 pm, saw an early end to oral questions and answers, as most of the questions in the Order Paper had already been tabled or requested for more time. Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, at the commencement of Public Businesses, stood up and informed the House that the Bills, namely the Employees' Pension Benefits Fund Bill, the Overseas Employees' Pension Benefits Fund Bill, the Pensions (Consequential Provisions) Bill and the Employees' Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill had already been entered in the Order Paper for the Second Reading and a debate could not be taken since a petition in relation to the Bills had been filed before the Supreme Court.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody, who was presiding, ruled that the Bills could not be debated since they were sub judice.