Speaker appoints Select Committee to explore Budget votes for 25 ministries

By Ashwin Hemmathagama
Our Lobby Correspondent
Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa has appointed members to a Select Committee to explore heads of expenditure of 25 selected ministries and the Secretariat established for Special Purposes according to provisions of Budget 2014.
The Select Committee will be headed by Leader of the House of Parliament Nimal Siripala de Silva and is expected to minimise the time constraints which would have affected the second reading of Budget 2014, with each Ministry being debated only for two hours.
The committee will present its report to Parliament on or before the day on which the Committee Stage Debate on the votes of the selected 25 ministries commences.
The ministries will include the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Public Relations and Public Affairs, Ministry of National Heritage, Ministry of Culture and the Arts, Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, Ministry of Resettlement, Ministry of Disaster Management, Ministry of Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation, Ministry of Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Productivity Promotion, Ministry of Plantation Industries, Ministry of Lands and Land Development, Ministry of Minor Export Crop Promotion, Ministry of Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development, Ministry of Sugar Industry Development, Ministry of Postal Services, Ministry of Private Transport Services, Ministry of Public Management Reforms, Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations, Ministry of State Resources and Enterprise Development, Ministry of Livestock and Rural Community Development, Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy, and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Members of the Select Committee are Minister W.D.J. Senewiratne, Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister Rauff Hakeem, Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera, Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiwanna, MP Joseph Michael Perera, MP John Amaratunga, MP Sunil Handunnetti, MP Suresh Premachandran, MP Pon Selvarasa, MP R. Yogarajan, MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, MP Silvastrie Alantin, MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle, MP Rosy Senanayake and MP Hunais Farook.