Hon. Palani Thigambaram, M.P.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB)· Nuwara - Eliya

Profession: Businessman

Roster profile ↗

Speeches 6 #220 of 225·#37 in party

Attendance 3/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

6 speeches

21 May 2026 AI summary Hon. Palani Thigambaram seconded the Adjournment Motion on land rights for hill country people, arguing that successive governments have failed to resolve the issue despite their contribution to foreign exchange earnings. He cited measures taken during the 2015 “Good Governance” Government, including housing projects, land deeds, expanded Divisional Secretariats and the Hill Country Authority, and urged the current Government to fulfil its Hatton Declaration promise by granting ten perches and land ownership to estate families. He said the Opposition would support any government move to provide land deeds and called on hill country government MPs to press the President to act. Adjournment Debate: Integration of Malaiyaha People into National Mainstream Ethnic Reconciliation & DevolutionLand & Housing Read →
18 December 2025 AI summary Expressing condolences for disaster victims, Palani Thigambaram urged national unity and pledged cooperation with government recovery efforts while criticizing its disaster response compared with its past claims in Opposition. He highlighted recurring landslide risks in plantation districts and demanded safe housing for estate communities, including allocation of 7 to 10 perches of land per affected family, temporary relocation or tents, and immediate use of Indian-funded houses. He thanked India, government officials, and the Army for assistance, and called on the relevant Minister to visit affected Nuwara Eliya areas and make decisions to prevent people being forced back to unsafe sites. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah EnvironmentInfrastructureLand & Housing Read →
13 November 2025 AI summary Welcoming the Budget’s proposed wage support and Rs. 5,000 million allocation for estate communities, Palani Thigambaram asked the Government to clarify whether the Rs. 200 incentive will continue beyond 2026, whether it will be incorporated into the basic wage, and how the proposed allowance will be calculated. He argued that estate worker welfare must be paired with structural reforms, including allocating 10-perch land plots and converting workers into smallholders, while also requesting development of Hatton, dialysis facilities at Kiligama Hospital, and permanent buildings for local bodies and Divisional Secretariats in Nuwara Eliya. He defended past “good governance” initiatives for hill-country communities, opposed politically motivated administrative changes, urged continuation of the dedicated hill-country development authority, and said the Opposition would support Government measures that genuinely improve estate workers’ lives. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) EmploymentInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
20 August 2025 AI summary Palani Thigambaram raised a point of Order to question the Government’s commitment to increasing plantation workers’ wages to Rs. 1,700, noting that a year had passed since it took office. He asked whether discussions were ongoing, when the wage increase would be implemented, or whether the Government intended to shift to an outgrower model. Debate: Samurdhi (Amendment) Bill, Rubber Control (Amendment) Bill, Sports Law Regulations, and Judicature Act Rules Employment Read →
14 March 2025 AI summary Palani Thigambaram welcomed the Budget’s acknowledgement of the Hill Country Tamil community but urged the Government to move beyond statements and implement concrete programmes for estate people. He defended his record as Minister during 2015–2019, denying allegations of corruption or political favouritism and citing housing and development work carried out for estate communities. He called for continuity in addressing the long-standing problems of the Hill Country population, offered cooperation if the Government delivers, and asked the Minister to focus more on estate residents as well as plantation issues. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) Public FinanceEthnic Reconciliation & DevolutionEmployment Read →
4 December 2024 AI summary Hon. Palani Thigambaram welcomed the Government’s stated commitments to anti-corruption, poverty alleviation, national unity, efficient public service, and economic development, saying the Opposition would support people-oriented measures while opposing harmful actions. He urged the Government to ensure equal rights for all communities, avoid relying only on the 13th Amendment without deeper reform, and revive or strengthen Hill Country initiatives begun under the Yahapalana Government, including the Plantation Development Plan and Hill Country Development Authority. He specifically requested better facilities for expanded local authorities in Nuwara Eliya, land title reforms, a return to single-house housing for estate communities, expedited Indian-funded housing, and action for over 6,000 high-risk households in disaster-prone areas. Debate: Government Policy Statement - Resumed Adjourned Debate Ethnic Reconciliation & DevolutionLand & HousingCorruption & Governance Reform Read →