Three Ministers oppose SAITM

The authorities running the South Asian Institute of Technology and Management (SAITM) in Malabe behave more or less like underworld figures rather than administrators of an institution, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told Parliament yesterday.

Speaking during an adjournment debate on the issue, the minister said the controversy surrounding the recent shooting incident at the institution proved that they associated with the underworld.

He said education cannot be marketed as a commodity and therefore no private institution can run medical or engineering colleges. “Only organisations that do not have profit motives in mind should be allowed to run an education institute but they should all be controlled by a regulatory body,” he said. The minister however clarified the fact that he was only voicing his own opinion and not that of the government.

However the minister criticised the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) as well stating that it was engaged in a process of limiting the number of persons who get into medical colleges and thereby pass out as doctors.

Minister of Social Service and former Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake, under whose tenure the SAITM was established, stressed that the institution had been established legally. He said the Health Ministry had given the college its blessings on two occasions.

He was countering the calls made by Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who called for the immediate closure of SAITM. Mr Dissanayake said SAITM is clearly functioning illegally as it has not got the approval of either the Board of Investment (BOI) or the Ministry of Health to function.

Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekera reminded those present that he had spoken out against the SAITM when he was in the opposition and said that he holds the same stance today as he had then. He said this mistake was done by the last regime.

Minister Susil Premajayantha also expressed the same sentiments. Joint Opposition MP Ramesh Pathirana maintained that the institution was set up illegally. He said the responsibility for clearing up the mess lies with the present government.

Meanwhile Minister of Higher Education Lakshman Kiriella charged that the SAITM issue had been politicised by the opposition to achieve their own selfish purposes. (Yohan Perera)