Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Mahanuwara

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation

Profession: Politician

Roster profile ↗

Speeches 72 #69 of 225·#31 in party

Attendance 4/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

72 speeches

12 March 2025 AI summary Moved that Parliament approve the Land Reform Commission’s 2021 Annual Report, together with the Auditor General’s observations, under the Land Reform Law, No. 1 of 1972. He noted that the report had been considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture and subsequently presented to Parliament; the motion was agreed to. Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Moved approval of the Land Reform Commission’s Annual Reports for 2015 to 2020 under the Land Reform Law, No. 1 of 1972, along with the Auditor General’s observations presented in July 2023. The motion noted prior consideration by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture in November 2023 and presentation of its report to Parliament in May 2024, and was agreed to. Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Moved approval of the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board’s Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2020, together with the Auditor General’s observations, under Section 12 of the National Audit Act, No. 19 of 2018. He noted that the report had been considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture and its report presented to Parliament; the motion was agreed to. Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Moved approval of MILCO (Private) Limited’s Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2019, including the Auditor General’s observations presented on 9 February 2024, under Section 14(2)(a) of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. He noted that the report had been considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture and its report presented to Parliament, after which the motion was agreed to. Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission AgricultureParliamentary ProcedurePublic Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha moved for Parliament to approve the 2018 Annual Report of MILCO (Private) Limited, submitted under the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971, together with the Auditor General’s observations. He noted that the report had been considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture and its report presented to Parliament; the motion was agreed to. Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission Public Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary During the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill 2025, an amendment was moved under Head 289, Programme 02. The intervention was procedural and did not include further policy argument or explanation in the provided text. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Parliamentary Procedure Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary During the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill 2025, K.D. Lal Kantha moved an amendment under Head 285, Programme 02. The remarks were procedural and did not provide further details on the substance or rationale of the amendment. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Parliamentary Procedure Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Moved an amendment during the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill 2025 under Head 282, Programme 02. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Parliamentary Procedure Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary At the Committee Stage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, K.D. Lal Kantha moved an amendment to Head 118, Programme 02, relating to Development Activities. The amendment increased the capital provision by Rs. 5.5 billion to Rs. 101.507 billion, reflecting allocations under Budget Proposals Nos. 8 and 36, while recurrent expenditure remained at Rs. 47.781 billion. The amendment and the relevant expenditure heads were agreed to and ordered to stand part of the Schedule. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Parliamentary ProcedurePublic Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, K.D. Lal Kantha moved a Committee Stage amendment to the 2025 Appropriation Bill under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, increasing the Capital Expenditure allocation to Rs. 133,078,000,000. The amendment and related votes for Head 118, including recurrent and capital allocations under Programmes 01 and 02, were put to the House and agreed to. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Public Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that the programme was halted due to 68 major shortcomings and that a committee has been appointed to examine them. He said implementation would resume in a revised form after recommendations addressing those shortcomings are received. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Public Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary K.D. Lal Kantha stated that procured stocks could be used as collateral with banks to obtain funding or be allocated through Ministry funds. He indicated that existing financial mechanisms provide scope to manage or finance such stocks. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Public Finance Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Clarifies that the characterization of the amount as “large” was made by another member, not by him. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Parliamentary Procedure Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha invited Members from both Government and Opposition to engage in a substantive debate on agriculture, emphasizing the sector’s particular vulnerability to climate conditions. He said he would listen to contributions, review the Hansard, and consider constructive proposals, including through cooperation with Opposition MPs, for the advancement of the sector. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation EnvironmentAgriculture Read →
12 March 2025 AI summary The Minister said the expanded Ministry now brings agriculture, livestock, land, irrigation and Mahaweli functions together, while acknowledging inefficiencies, vacancies and the need to correct malpractice in key departments. He said the Government’s priority is food security through higher domestic production, earlier cultivation using full reservoirs, and imports only when necessary, citing the recent rice shortage and African Swine Fever’s impact on the pig industry. He stated that paddy purchasing for the 2024-2025 Maha season was set at production cost plus 30 per cent to ensure farmer profitability, and that similar attention was given to potato farmers. He also addressed data limitations, value-added rice uses, and said land requests for crops such as sorghum and durian would be assessed cautiously due to past misuse in land alienation. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
4 March 2025 AI summary The Minister presented the report of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation covering several annual and performance reports from agencies under the agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation sectors. The documents included reports from fertilizer, post-harvest, livestock, engineering, animal production, irrigation and agrarian development institutions for various years, and were ordered to lie upon the Table. Papers presented Agriculture Read →
20 February 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha said the Budget gives priority to public and private sector workers, oppressed groups, and others facing heavy social burdens, reflecting the movement’s longstanding focus on those subjected to injustice. He stated that investors and affluent groups are also not excluded, as the Government’s approach of “economic democracy” accommodates both social protection and investment. He rejected classical liberalism, social liberalism, neoliberalism, and full state-control socialism, arguing that this Budget is the first in Sri Lanka to present economic democracy as its guiding doctrine. Budget Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate EmploymentPublic Finance Read →
20 February 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha argued that the Budget is based on “economic democracy,” aimed at ensuring that workers, pensioners, plantation communities, farmers and other groups who contributed to the economy receive a fairer share. He said wage and pension increases were designed to address past social injustices, with larger relief directed to groups that had suffered greater disadvantage. He cited the Government’s intervention in the paddy and rice market, including a Rs. 120 per kilo floor price for Nadu paddy and a Rs. 230 per kilo ceiling price for Nadu rice, as an example of calibrated state action to protect both farmers and consumers. Budget Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate AgricultureEmploymentPublic Finance Read →
20 February 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha argued that the Budget is based on “economic democracy” rather than classical liberalism, social liberalism, state-controlled socialism, or neoliberalism. He said the Government will neither withdraw from the economy nor take it over entirely, but will intervene where necessary, including by taking a fair stake alongside private actors, cooperatives and foreign investors. He also defended planned recruitment of 30,000 public servants to fill essential vacancies and justified public sector wage increases as a response to long-neglected wages and rising living costs. Budget Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate Public FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
20 February 2025 AI summary Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha rejected Opposition claims that supporters of the Government were disappointed with the Budget and responded to criticism about the Government’s economic model. He stated that the Budget rejects Adam Smith’s laissez-faire approach and affirmed that the State will intervene in the economy as a central policy direction. Budget Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate Public Finance Read →