Sri Lanka, Jan. 14 -- The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability has raised concerns over the transparency and utilisation of compensation received for the environmental damage caused by the X-Press Pearl disaster, particularly in relation to payments made to affected fishermen and coastal conservation work.

Meeting in Parliament on 8 January 2026 under the chairmanship of MP Hector Appuhamy, the Committee stressed the need for a full accounting of the funds received so far. Members noted that while compensation has been collected and partially disbursed, Parliament has not yet been provided with a consolidated picture of how much has been paid out, how much has been spent on coastal protecti...