News
Savithri Paulraj new Chairperson of Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of the Tenth Parliament. This appointment was announced during the Caucus’ first meeting, which took place on December 3, 2024, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
The session, held at Parliament, was attended by several key figures, including Deputy Chairpersons of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Secretary to the Caucus Kushani Rohanadeera, who is also the Secretary General of Parliament.
During the meeting, Saroja Paulraj was elected as the Chairperson following a proposal by Samanmalee Gunasingha, which was seconded by Anushka Thilakarathne. Alongside Paulraj, two Deputy Co-Chairs were elected: Chamindrani Bandara Kirielle, nominated by Rohini Kumari Wijerathna and seconded by Thushari Jayasingha, and Samanmalee Gunasingha, whose name was proposed by Krishnan Kaleichelvi and seconded by Deepthi Wasalage.
In her address, Prime Minister Amarasuriya highlighted the historic achievement of having a significant number of women elected to Parliament by public vote. She emphasised the importance of fostering a collaborative spirit within the Caucus, transcending political ideologies for the betterment of the nation.
“We must work together to ensure that every woman in Sri Lanka feels safe and secure,” said Chairperson Saroja Paulraj, expressing her vision for the Caucus. “This is just the beginning of a larger movement aimed at improving the lives of women across the country.”
The Caucus also decided to establish a subcommittee, led by the two Deputy Co-Chairs, to review and report on future programmes and initiatives. In addition, the members agreed to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on December 6, following a proposal by Rohini Kumari Wijerathna.
The meeting saw the active participation of numerous Parliamentarians, including Samanmalee Gunasingha, Chamindrani Bandara Kirielle, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, Anushka Thilakarathne, and several others, who are all committed to advancing the rights and welfare of women in Sri Lanka.
The Paddy Marketing Board has approximately 115,000 metric tonnes of paddy stocks purchased from farmers, which are currently stored in the Board’s warehouses, and it has been planned to retain a sufficient buffer stock from these reserves and sell the remaining quantity in order to provide the necessary storage space and financial resources for the purchase of paddy from farmers during the upcoming Yala season.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to sell the aforementioned paddy stocks
following a formal tender procedure.
The Promotion of Export Agriculture Act, No. 46 of 1992 provides the legal provisions for regulating and promoting the export agriculture sector in this country.
Taking into consideration administrative changes and sectoral developments that have taken place over time, approval was granted at the Cabinet Meetings held on 2023-09-04 and 2025-08-11 to amend the said Act, which has not been updated for over 30 years.
The proposed amendments are intended to amend the designations of the Head of the Department of Export Agriculture and other officials, and to provide a clearer definition of the term “the export agricultural crop.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to publish in the Government Gazette the Draft Export Agriculture Promotion (Amendment) Bill, prepared in all three languages by the Legal Draftsman to amend the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992, and thereafter submit the same to Parliament for its concurrence
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