Sectoral Oversight Committees: Four Chairpersons from govt., and three from Opposition

Parliament has passed a motion for establishing seven Sectoral Oversight Committees. As per the decision taken by the Committee of Selection, the motion in this regard was presented to Parliament on Monday (17) by the Leader of the House of Parliament and Minister Bimal Rathnayake, upon which the approval of the House was granted. Political parties reached an agreement regarding the distribution of chairmanships of these Sectoral Oversight Committees between the Government and the Opposition, M. Jayalath Perera, Director Legislative Services / Director Communication (Acting) said in a press release issued yesterday.

Accordingly, the chairmanships of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health, Media and Women’s Empowerment, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation, and Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection were agreed to be allocated to the Government.

Meanwhile, approval was granted to allocate the chairmanships of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, and Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability to the Opposition.

Responding to a question posed by The Island, Perera said that defence and public security would come under Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection.