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Parliament kitchen uninspected for 40 years, Speaker raises food safety concerns
By Nimal Jayarathne-Manampitiya
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne revealed that the Parliament kitchen had not been inspected by any Public Health Inspector (PHI) in the 40 years since the establishment of Parliament, leading to serious concerns over food safety.
Speaking at a program organized by the Thamankaduwa Medical Officer of Health Office on September 19 to evaluate food processing establishments in Polonnaruwa, the Speaker disclosed that even food seasonings unsuitable for human consumption had been found in the Parliament kitchen.
“Parliament is the supreme institution where laws of the country are made. If the food in such a place is unclean and MPs fall sick after eating it, that would be a very serious situation,” he said.
Dr. Wickramaratne said that during inspections, rats and cockroaches were seen inside the kitchen, while cooking utensils were broken, bent, and stained. “I even stopped eating salads in Parliament after seeing the state of the kitchen. It is not enough to just increase food prices in Parliament — we must also carefully investigate what is being cooked,” he added.
The Speaker said the Parliament kitchen was inspected for the first time only last April, when he visited with the Medical Officer of Health of Battaramulla and a team of PHIs. Their report, presented to the House Committee comprising MPs from both the government and opposition, revealed shocking conditions.
“Some officials were unhappy when repairs were initiated, and some even mockingly call me ‘Mr. PHI.’ But I accept these challenges. For forty years, the Parliament was run like a separate state. Now, we have started to change that,” Dr. Wickramaratne said.
The program, held under the theme Good Food for a Healthy Life, evaluated and ranked 145 food processing establishments in Polonnaruwa and Kaduruwela to improve food safety standards.
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