Legal Unit for Parliament to assist MPs, staff facing litigation

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.

In addition to this, the Committee also took several other decisions including expanding the sign language interpretation facilities currently in operation within Parliament.

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.

 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 labour 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. A sum of Rs. 67 million had been allocated for these constructions; however, under the instructions of the Hon. 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 Hon. 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 Hon. Speaker to restructure the salary system and determine facilities for the staff of the Office of the Secretary General of Parliament.