Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo, SLT 6.15 A.M Monday 25 April 2005. The Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the activities of local and international NGOs is expected to come in to effect next month, a ruling party MP said today. He said, the paper to appoint the PSC would be presented to the parliament early next month and the committee would go in to action immediately thereafter. According to the MP all parties have agreed to the appointment of the select committee. JVP heavyweight Nandana Gunatilike will be the chairman of the PSC.

The MP revealed that the committee would publish advertisements in all national newspapers and request members of the public and others to make representations on the activities of the NGOs operating in the country. The parliament select committee is expected to look into financial and transparency of both the international and local non governmental organisations, threat to national security from these organisations and what these organisations are doing for the social welfare of the Sri Lankans. The government lawmaker "We will look into all aspects. What these organisations both local and international are doing here. We will look in to their activities after Tsunami. There will be a special focus on it. It is important that these organisations work in the interest of the country and our people rather than following their own agendas.

Most of the non governmental organisations, especially the international non governmental organisations which had raised money from the sympathetic public have come under severe media criticism after the Tsunami, especially their recruitment policy and their lack of sensitivity to the political, cultural and social environment in the country. The government had already stopped the registration of new NGOS in Sri Lanka. However, the NGOs have criticised the government for its indecisions and slow actions. APresidential commission to probe the activities of the NGOs was appointed during the regime of late President R. Premadasa. . This will be the first time a parliament committee will be appointed to investigate the activities of both the INGOs and NGOs in Sri Lanka.