Parliament grapples with overlapping Committee functions

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has drawn attention to the issue of overlapping responsibilities among various parliamentary committees, raising pertinent concerns about its impact on the legislative process.
Speaking to reporters, MP Ranawaka said that the concurrent functioning of these committees has introduced a series of challenges, particularly in the crucial task of summoning institutions for investigations. He said that there are instances when summoning specific institutions becomes a convoluted process, as multiple committees may concurrently request their presence. Such overlap has been found to hamper the effectiveness and efficiency of parliamentary investigations.

The repercussions of this overlap extend beyond the legislative process, affecting the parliamentary staff members who are tasked with providing support to these committees. 

These dedicated individuals often find themselves grappling with the demands of multiple committees, a situation that not only strains their resources but also hinders their ability to deliver optimal support.

MP Ranawaka emphasized that these concerns have been conveyed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, to date, no concrete actions have been taken to address and rectify this situation.