Special Select Committee to study budgets of 17 ministries  

• Speaker appoints Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe chairman 

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

Parliament appointed a Select Committee on Saturday enabling legislators to meet and discuss the expenditure of 17 ministries for 2016, after the period allocated to the committee stage of the Budget was limited to only 15 days this year.  

 Ministry of Tourism Development, Christian Religious Affairs, Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Ministry of Post, Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs, Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, Ministry of Disaster Management, Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, Ministry of National Dialogue, Ministry of Plantation Industries, Ministry of Rural Economy, Ministry of Primary Industries, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development, Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Special Assignment will be scrutinised by this Select Committee.

 The committee report will be tabled in the Parliament on 17 and 18 December one day before Parliament concludes the debate on Budget 2016.

 The committee was set up by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in accordance with Standing Order 97 and the resolution passed by the Parliament on 23 October. The Speaker also nominated Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training Mahinda Samarasinghe to head the committee.

 Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Chandima Weerakkody, UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, State Minister of Labour and Trade Unions Relations Ravindra Samaraweera, EPDP MP Douglas Devananda, UPFA MP Gamini Lokuge, UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardana, JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti, UNP MP Vadivel Suresh, UNP MP J. M. Ananda Kumarasiri, ITAK MP Annamalai Nadesu Sivasakthi, UNP MP Ajith Mannapperuma, ITAK MP Kaveendiran Kodeeswaran, JVP MP Dr.NalindaJayathissa, UNP MP Mayantha Dissanayake, UNP MP MujiburRahuman, UNP MP Harshana Rajakaruna, UNP MP Dr.Thusitha Wijemanna, and ITAK MP S. Shritharan are the other members of this Select Committee, the Speaker appointed on Saturday.