The Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee, chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, has announced several key initiatives to enhance support services and infrastructure within Parliament.Responding to a rise in litigation and legal consultations involving Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff, the Committee approved the establishment of a dedicated Legal Unit to provide necessary legal assistance.
To improve accessibility, the Committee also agreed to expand sign language interpretation facilities. With funding from the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Capital Investment Fund, interpretation services will now be available in Committee Rooms No. 05 and 06.
Priority renovation works are underway at the Parliament building, including roof repairs, fixing the main copper door mechanism, upgrading sanitary facilities and the Parliamentary Medical Centre, and installing a Fire Detection System. These projects will receive support from the Army and Police.
Additional improvements include housing upgrades at the Madiwela complex for MPs, a solar-powered water system installation at the Speaker’s residence with Navy assistance, and reduced-cost security infrastructure enhancements at the Pinniyara entrance.
The Committee also approved staffing additions for the Tripartite External Expert Committee tasked with reviewing salary structures for parliamentary staff.
Furthermore, the Committee addressed the allocation of the Shrawasthi Mandiraya building to the Ministry of Education, setting guidelines for property clearance.
Payments to technical experts supporting the Committee on Public Finance were also authorised, ensuring continued expert contributions to parliamentary oversight functions.