President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated in Parliament that investigations have revealed the infiltration of underworld activities within official institutions responsible for public security. He assured that decisive measures would be taken to eliminate such influences, though the process would require time.
The President made these remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Defence of the Tenth Parliament, which he chaired.
Discussions included the security of court complexes, with Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara proposing enhanced security measures, including modern technology to screen all individuals entering court premises.
MPs raised concerns about military-occupied lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces. In response, the Defence Secretary assured that a nationwide reassessment would be conducted before making decisions on their release.
Regarding military-run businesses, including hotels, the President stated that a study would be conducted to determine how these businesses could be redirected for economic benefits, particularly in the tourism sector.
Concerns over ethnic and religious tensions in the Northern Province were also addressed. The President emphasized the need to eliminate extremism from politics and stressed that issues should be resolved based on the genuine needs of local communities, warning against political exploitation of such matters.
Additionally, the establishment of a National Disaster Management Committee was proposed, and the President instructed officials to expedite the process.
Among those present were Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekera, ministers, MPs, Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.), heads of the tri-forces, and other officials.
