Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Badulla

Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure

Profession: ---

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Speeches 176 #23 of 225·#11 in party

Attendance 4/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

176 speeches

10 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said State lands from plantation companies and the LRC have been allocated for public needs, including disaster-related resettlement, through District Coordinating Committees chaired by the President. He stated that lands belonging to Kurunegala and Chilaw Plantations had previously been released unlawfully to politicians and associates, and that legal action is underway to recover them, including 1,604.39 hectares from Kurunegala Plantations. He also said the Government had improved the profitability of both companies and would continue to manage them properly while reclaiming misused lands. Oral Question: Chilaw Plantations Limited and Hospital Infrastructure (Q.5-6) Land & HousingCorruption & Governance ReformPublic Finance Read →
10 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that the state-owned Chilaw and Kurunegala Plantations had faced declining profits and poor maintenance, including several years without fertilizer application, but are now under proper management regimes. He said fertilizer, pest control and upkeep have resumed, aided by a 27,500 MT MOP fertilizer donation from Russia distributed to coconut growers and plantation companies. He added that underutilized lands are being used for new cultivation such as coconut, cashew and mango, or leased to farmers, contributing to improved profitability within a year. Oral Question: Chilaw Plantations Limited and Hospital Infrastructure (Q.5-6) Agriculture Read →
10 June 2026 AI summary The Minister stated that Chilaw Plantations Limited granted Rs. 105 million in short-term loans in 2010 to five state-linked institutions at 8 per cent interest, repayable within three years. He reported that no principal or interest has been recovered, and that the outstanding amount as at 31 December 2025 totals Rs. 202,957,808.20, with interest not computed for some loans due to absent or improper agreements. He said the debtor institutions had been repeatedly notified, the matter is before the Ministry Audit Committee, and action is being taken under Public Enterprise Circular 01/2021(i) to write off the loans following guidance from the Department of Public Enterprises. Oral Question: Chilaw Plantations Limited and Hospital Infrastructure (Q.5-6) Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna responded to criticisms about the treatment of estate workers, stating that the Government is addressing issues raised in selective external reports. He outlined recent measures, including wage increases, expanded housing programmes, land title grants, and an increase in allocated land from 7 to 10 perches, while noting challenges in identifying safe land and releasing plantation lands. He said housing construction is progressing with Indian assistance and that post-disaster needs are being addressed through District Coordinating Committees and presidential visits to affected districts. Oral Questions 1-10 InfrastructureLand & HousingEmployment Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said the long-standing land issue, dating back to colonial times, would not be allowed to continue unresolved. He stated that lands had already been identified with companies for those affected by “Ditwah,” while some sites were awaiting final approvals, including from the National Building Research Organisation. He added that, following the Cabinet decision of 6 April, preliminary work was being expedited with the commitment of the President and Government. Oral Questions 1-10 Land & HousingInfrastructure Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that the Government has allocated Rs. 5,000 million to his Ministry to cover the State’s Rs. 200 contribution to the announced wage increase from January 2026. He said concerns raised by Opposition groups about legality and complaints to CIABOC and the Ministry of Finance were addressed through a Cabinet decision, Finance Ministry concurrence, and precedents for State support to private-sector wages. He affirmed that five months’ payments had already been made and that the agreed wage would continue to be paid. Oral Questions 1-10 EmploymentPublic Finance Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that the agreement reached on worker payments does not impose additional burdens, higher leaf quotas, or new conditions on workers. He said the Government and companies will each contribute Rs. 200 as an incentive, and assured that the Government will intervene if reports emerge of companies imposing new burdens, emphasizing that the aim is to improve living standards. Oral Questions 1-10 Cost of LivingEmployment Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary Provided details on estate workers’ wage increases since 1998, noting that the daily wage rose to Rs. 1,350 in 2024 and to an effective Rs. 1,750 in 2026 with Rs. 200 each from Government and companies. He also gave current workforce figures for regional plantation companies and state plantation bodies, the monthly number of workers entitled to the 2026 Budget increase, and payments made in the first four months, totalling Rs. 2,883.34 million. He stated that the Government attendance incentive is limited to registered manual workers contributing to EPF/ETF under Cabinet decisions and MOUs, excluding many temporary workers who are not yet registered. Oral Questions 1-10 Public FinanceEmployment Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna responded to concerns raised from an international human rights organization about conditions on some plantations, stating that the matter is being discussed with the Ministry of Labour and that a formal response will be provided. He said the Government must handle such issues carefully due to international market competition and the economic importance of plantation crops. He cited measures including a Rs. 400 daily wage increase for estate workers and accelerated provision of house and land ownership to line-room residents, with the land allocation increased from 7 to 10 perches. Oral Questions 1-10 Justice & Human RightsAgricultureEmployment Read →
9 June 2026 AI summary The Minister answered Question No. 6 on privatized plantation estates, stating that 398 estates are leased to Regional Plantation Companies, with additional estates under government-owned plantation companies and direct management by SLSPC and JEDB. He said the leases run for 53 years from June 1992 to June 2045, and tabled annexes on estate details, employee numbers, and RPC profit/loss data. He further stated that RPCs are private companies audited by private audit firms under company law, that state audit does not apply, and that there is no legal requirement to table their financial statements in Parliament. Oral Questions 1-10 Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
5 May 2026 AI summary Hon. K. V. Samantha Vidyaratna presented data on Sri Lanka’s coconut industry, citing the legal framework governing the sector, trends in national production, district-wise acreage and yields, and Sri Lanka’s position as the fourth-largest coconut producer internationally. He noted that production fell from 3,351 million nuts in 2022 to 2,806 million in 2025, attributing the decline to climate change, inadequate fertilizer use, wildlife damage and pests. He also outlined Coconut Research Institute recommendations for mitigating drought impacts, including irrigation, mulching, seedling protection, pest monitoring and early treatment of diseases. Closing: Written Answers and Hansard Publication Information Agriculture Read →
5 May 2026 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna provided data on the coconut industry, noting its legal basis and reporting that production fell from 3,351 million nuts in 2022 to 2,806 million in 2025 due to climatic anomalies, insufficient fertilizer use, wildlife damage and pests. He outlined the estimated coconut cultivation extent of about 1.2 million acres, district-wise production patterns, yield gaps over the past five years, and Sri Lanka’s approximate fourth-place ranking among major coconut-producing countries. He also detailed recommended cultivation and moisture-conservation practices, and stated that coconut and coconut-based export earnings rose to Rs. 368.0 billion, or USD 1.22 billion, in 2025. Closing: Written Answers and Hansard Publication Information Agriculture Read →
5 May 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented the Kithul Development Board’s Annual Report for 2022. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resource Management, and the motion was agreed to. Papers: Reports and Regulations Tabled Parliamentary Procedure Read →
9 April 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said smallholder tea growers, who produce about 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s tea, are facing pressure from falling green leaf prices, export issues and global energy-related conditions. He noted that tea export earnings reached USD 1,507 million in 2025, the highest since 2017, and said the Government has expanded fertiliser support through a QR-based scheme to 187,759 growers. He stated that Cabinet has approved a one-time additional fertiliser relief of Rs. 5,000 per 50 kg bag, on top of the existing Rs. 4,000 subsidy, with Rs. 2.5 billion allocated by the Treasury for smallholder tea growers. Oral Questions and Answers AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
9 April 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that the Government has expanded cyclone “Dicha” disaster relief to Malayaha plantation communities living in line rooms, who were initially ineligible because they lacked ownership of houses or land. He said Cabinet decided on 6 April that line-room residents whose homes are totally damaged, certified as high risk by the NBRO, or deemed uninhabitable by disaster authorities will receive Rs. 5 million in housing relief and 10 perches of land, with options to buy or build a house. For partially damaged line rooms, he said the Divisional Secretary, Plantation Human Development Trust, and the Ministry will assess damage and arrange suitable housing assistance. Oral Questions and Answers Public FinanceLand & HousingEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
9 April 2026 AI summary The Minister stated that part of the plantation community still lives in line rooms, while others occupy houses built through government, institutional, foreign-assisted, or self-funded programmes. He said the Ministry’s Community Infrastructure Division and affiliated bodies are implementing housing and land-title measures, including preparing deeds for Indian Housing Programme houses and JEDB properties, and providing 10 perches per beneficiary to the Malayaha plantation Tamil community through relevant state plantation institutions. A detailed written answer was tabled. Oral Questions and Answers Land & HousingInfrastructure Read →
8 April 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented the 2023 Annual Report of the C/S Halawatha Plantation Company. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resource Management, and the motion was agreed to. Tabling of Reports AgricultureParliamentary Procedure Read →
7 April 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented the 2024 Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability, and the motion was agreed to. Papers: Auditor-General's Report and Ministry Annual Reports Tabling AgricultureParliamentary Procedure Read →
20 March 2026 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said the Government was managing global fuel price pressures and supply-chain disruptions more prudently than during the previous fuel crisis, citing comparatively smaller domestic price increases and measures to maintain essential services. He argued that the Government had stabilized public finances, used Treasury funds including a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate for cyclone relief, increased wages and salaries, and approved new jobs without relying on external borrowing for disaster assistance. He also stated that fuel disruptions were due to international conflict, freight and insurance constraints rather than a dollar shortage, and asked for time to resolve them. On plantations, he said the tea auction market was normalizing after initial export difficulties. Adjournment Debate (Continuation): Effects of Current Global Situation on Our Economy Public FinanceInfrastructureCost of Living Read →
3 March 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented the Coconut Development Authority’s Annual Report for 2022. He moved that it be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Use of Resources, and the motion was agreed to. Papers: Regulations, Reports and Orders Tabled AgricultureParliamentary Procedure Read →