Legal unit to be established in Parliament following committee approval

Due to a significant increase in litigation and legal consultations pertaining to Members of Parliament and the staff of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee has decided to establish a Legal Unit for Parliament with the objective of providing necessary legal assistance. 

This decision was taken at a meeting of the said Advisory Committee held recently under the chairmanship of Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, the Parliamentary Communications Department said in a statement.

Additionally, the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee has decided to further expand the sign language interpretation facilities currently in operation within Parliament. 

Accordingly, with the sponsorship of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Capital Investment Fund, sign language interpretation facilities are to be provided for Committee Rooms No. 05 and 06 of Parliament.

The Committee also focused attention on the progress of the ongoing renovation works of the Parliament building, the statement said. 

Accordingly, priority renovation activities such as repairing the roof leaks of the Parliament building, rectifying the operating mechanism of the main copper door, expanding sanitary facilities, upgrading the Parliamentary Medical Center, and installing a Fire Detection System are to be carried out with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Police, as approved by the Committee.

Furthermore, the Committee also granted approval for the improvement works at the Madiwela Housing Complex for Members of Parliament. Accordingly, these activities are scheduled to be carried out with the contribution of labor from the Sri Lanka Army, in accordance with the provisions of the 2025 budget and relevant procurement guidelines.

The Committee also granted approval for the installation of a solar-powered water supply system at the Speaker’s official residence. Accordingly, it is proposed to implement this project with the cooperation of the Sri Lanka Navy, and two solar power systems are to be installed through an open procurement process managed by the Parliament’s Supplies and Services Department, in line with the prescribed procurement guidelines.

Attention of the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee was also drawn to the progress of the expansion and construction of security buildings and access roads at the Pinniyara entrance to the Parliamentary premises, it stated. 

A sum of Rs. 67 million had been allocated for these constructions; however, under the instructions of the Speaker, this amount was reduced to Rs. 3 million by adjusting the main design. It was decided to carry out the construction work with the labor contribution of the Sri Lanka Navy. 

In addition to the main building at the Pinniyara entrance, approval was also granted to construct an additional security post to facilitate security screenings for Members of Parliament, staff, and other visitors.

In line with Public Administration Circular No. 06/2006, the Committee granted approval to provide positions of Committee Secretary, Computer Operator, and Management Services Assistant to support the Tripartite External Expert Committee appointed under the guidance of the Speaker to restructure the salary system and determine facilities for the staff of the Office of the Secretary General of Parliament.

Moreover, the attention of the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee was drawn to the allocation of the Parliament-owned Shrawasthi Mandiraya to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training. 

Accordingly, if any property currently located within the Shrawasthi building complex belongs to any other party, a period of one month is to be granted for its removal, and reminder letters are to be sent to the relevant parties as instructed by the Committee to its Secretary, the statement added.

Under Standing Order 121 (5)(I), the Committee has approved the proposal to make payments to technical experts for the preparation of reports with regard to the Committee on Public Finance. This will be done in accordance with the formal approval of the Committee on Public Finance.