Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Ratnapura

Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure

Profession: ---

Roster profile ↗

Speeches 26 #149 of 225·#88 in party

Attendance 3/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

26 speeches

14 March 2025 AI summary In the Committee Stage debate on the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure allocations, the Deputy Minister outlined Budget provisions of about Rs. 16,738 million for plantation crop development and social infrastructure in estate communities. He highlighted funding for vocational training, nutrition programmes for upcountry children, land deeds, roofing support, housing construction with Indian assistance, and the revival of institutions such as the upcountry new villages development authority. He also proposed improvements to schools, cultural centres, waste management, disaster relief, estate hospitals, pre-schools, drinking water and sanitation, with particular emphasis on replacing line rooms through single-house construction. Appropriation Bill 2025: Committee Stage - Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure (Heads 135, 293, 337) InfrastructureEducationLand & Housing Read →
10 March 2025 AI summary Sundaralingam Pradeep argued that the hill-country community has been held back by inadequate educational provision under past Governments. He acknowledged efforts by leaders such as Mano Ganesan to improve education and called for unity in advancing educational opportunities for the community. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage EducationEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
10 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep said the 2025 Budget gives increased priority to education, but plantation-area schools continue to face long-standing shortages of teachers, resources, transport, housing, nutrition support and equitable allocation. He called for filling Tamil-medium and subject-specific vacancies, appointing local graduates, resolving delayed assistant teacher recruitment after court decisions, absorbing acting principals, training over 400 untrained hill-country teachers, and providing incentives for teachers from the North and East to serve in plantation areas. He also urged better facilities for remote schools in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, upgrading Tamil-medium national schools by district, and establishing a university for the hill country. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage EducationEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
25 February 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister supported the 2025 Budget, stating that it allocates resources equitably across regions and communities, with particular attention to long-standing housing, documentation, language, education, and welfare issues faced by Malaiyaha plantation communities. He said the Government plans to complete 700 pending Indian-funded houses and build 4,700 new estate houses this year, renovate 75 line-room clusters under “Clean Sri Lanka,” assist residents with civil documents, and provide individual houses based on need. He also referred to the proposed Rs. 1,700 daily wage for estate workers, nutrition measures for estate students, and efforts to address school dropouts and infrastructure shortages in estate schools, especially in Ratnapura District. The speech contrasted the current Government’s approach with past political neglect and alleged partisan practices in plantation areas. Second Reading Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 (Continuation Day 7) Land & HousingEducationEmployment Read →
17 February 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister argued that the postponement of the 2023 local authority elections undermined democracy and disrupted services delivered through local councils, particularly in plantation areas. He said reforms since 2018 had enabled local bodies to serve estate communities, including improving roads, water supply and opportunities for plantation women’s political participation, but these gains were denied by the delay. He rejected proposed reasons for further postponement, cited the Supreme Court decision, and urged that local elections be held immediately. He also briefly welcomed the Government’s maiden Budget, noting salary increases for teachers. Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill: Second Reading Corruption & Governance ReformParliamentary Procedure Read →
17 December 2024 AI summary The Deputy Minister supported the sovereign debt restructuring process, arguing that it has helped restore financial stability, lower interest rates, and preserve social welfare measures such as increased Aswesuma payments. He highlighted longstanding poverty, housing, land, health, education, wage and employment issues affecting the hill-country estate community, noting that many still live in old line rooms without proper addresses. He said the Government, through measures such as the Hatton Declaration and anti-corruption efforts, would address land and welfare issues, and requested assistance from India and Tamil Nadu in resolving estate community problems. Adjournment Debate: International Sovereign Bond Restructuring and IMF Agreement Cost of LivingPublic FinanceEmployment Read →