President pledges to eradicate underworld influence

• Reaffirms Govt.’s commitment to eradicating organised crime, emphasises on need for time and strategic measures
• Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara proposes enhanced Court security using modern technology
• MPs raise concerns about military-occupied lands in Northern and Eastern provinces; Defence Ministry to conduct a nationwide reassessment
• Discusses on military-run businesses, including hotels, with plans to explore their role in boosting tourism industry 
• Calls for a National Disaster Management Committee, instructing officials to expedite its formation

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday stressed in Parliament that investigations have disclosed that underworld activities have infiltrated certain individuals within official institutions responsible for public security.  Addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Defence during its inaugural session in the 10th Parliament yesterday, the President stressed that while the Government is committed to eradicating organised crime, the process will require time and strategic measures, the Department of Communications in the Parliament said in a statement.

During the discussions held regarding the security of Court complexes in the country, Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, stated that a proposal has been prepared regarding the security of the Court complexes and in the future, measures will be taken to increase the security of the Court complexes by using modern technology by examining all the parties including lawyers.

Furthermore, Members of Parliament raised concerns regarding the release of lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces that are currently occupied by military camps, to their original owners. 

In response, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence stated that a reassessment or evaluation will be conducted not only for lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces but across the entire country occupied by the tri-forces, and appropriate decisions will be taken regarding their release.

The Members of Parliament also inquired regarding military-run businesses, including tourist hotels, and their potential for being directed towards more productive investments in the tourism industry. In response, the President stated that a study will be conducted in this regard, and appropriate decisions will be made to utilise these businesses to achieve economic benefits.

Moreover, the Members of Parliament stated that there is a possibility of some ethnic and religious divisions based on certain shrines established in the Northern Province. In response, the President emphasised that religious and ethnic extremism should be completely removed from politics. 

He further stated that all such issues can be resolved based on the genuine aspirations of the residents of those areas. He also highlighted that certain groups seeking narrow political gains tend to turn such situations into political conflicts. Therefore, he affirmed that steps will be taken to ensure that no one is given the opportunity to incite ethnic or religious divisions for political advantage.

Additionally, the need to establish a Committee pertaining to National Disaster Management was also highlighted during the discussion. Accordingly, the President instructed officials to expedite the necessary processes to complete this task promptly.

Among those present at the event were the Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekera, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and several Members of Parliament. Also, in attendance were the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, the heads of the tri-forces, officials from the Ministry of Defence and its affiliated institutions, as well as Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, along with several other officials.