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

18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure requested two weeks to provide an answer to the question raised. The question was accordingly ordered to stand down. Oral Questions: Stood Down (Q.4, Q.5) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary State plantation lands under the Ministry’s institutions may be considered for resettling disaster-affected people, subject to approval by the relevant District or inter-agency coordination mechanisms and clearance from the National Building Research Organisation. The Minister stated that, where suitable lands are available, the Ministry is prepared to facilitate such allocations. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) Land & HousingInfrastructure Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister stated that underutilized estate lands should be used to meet national economic and social needs, including raising made tea production to 400 million kg and export earnings to USD 2.5 billion by 2030. He said the Government would prioritize appropriate cultivation on such lands while protecting natural forests, removing invasive species, and aligning estate land use with Environment Ministry policies promoting indigenous forest cover. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) AgricultureEnvironment Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary Nagastenna Estate in Yatiyantota, owned by the Janatha Estate Development Board, covers 482.84 hectares and has faced poor management due to financial constraints, lack of inputs, and absence of replanting, though fertilizer and agrochemicals are now being supplied. The estate has 1,646 residents, including 99 unauthorized occupants; legal action has been taken against five external encroachers, while action against unauthorized resident workers has been deferred due to social concerns. Measures to improve productivity include providing inputs and management guidance, and processing 138.26 hectares of underutilized cultivable land for lease or allocation to suitable private investors. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) Land & HousingAgriculture Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister acknowledged the difficulty of acquiring underutilized plantation lands for public purposes, citing long-term agreements with regional plantation companies and examples such as land for Deniyaya Hospital. He said the Government has directed plantation companies to bring such lands into productive use or lease/sub-lease them to capable parties, while state entities including SLSPC, JEDB and Elkaduwa Plantations have begun advertising thousands of acres for lease. He added that further policy measures are being considered against private companies that fail to develop or lease underutilized lands, and requested Members’ cooperation on reforms linked to worker welfare and wages. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) Land & HousingAgriculture Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister said the government is addressing longstanding land and housing insecurity in the estate community by granting 10 perches of land to families without land rights and expanding housing construction. He cited temporary hut settlements, landslide-displaced families, and delays caused by terrain reassessments after the “Ditsa” cyclone, while noting ongoing delivery of houses for affected families. He stated that the Indian-assisted 10,000-housing project is progressing with Sri Lankan funding for infrastructure, with 2,026 grants issued in 2025 and more than 2,600 houses planned in 2026. He also said Rs. 500,000 has been approved for fully damaged houses from “Ditsa” and that discussions are underway to extend support to estate residents without land titles. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) EmploymentInfrastructureLand & Housing Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister provided district-level data on estate housing in Ratnapura, stating that there are 24,235 estate housing units, including single houses, twin cottages, line rooms, upstairs line rooms, and temporary sheds. He outlined national estate housing development allocations from 2020 to 2025, and specified that Ratnapura received Rs. 58.5 million in 2021 and Rs. 10.2 million in 2025. He stated that ongoing projects listed in the tabled annexes are being expedited, and placed the relevant annexes in the Library. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) Land & Housing Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that internal estate roads are owned by estate companies and are not vested in local authorities or state bodies, with companies historically responsible for maintaining roads and line rooms. He said that, due to poor maintenance and resident communities’ needs, the Government also has a responsibility to provide basic infrastructure, and that about Rs. 100 million has been allocated through the Ministry to improve estate and estate-adjacent roads while engaging companies on maintenance. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) Cost of LivingInfrastructure Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary The Minister stated that complaints regarding violations of workers’ rights or harassment fall under the authority of the Ministry of Labour. He added that, in relation to the plantation sector, his Ministry refers reported incidents to the relevant legal authorities and engages estate management to take appropriate action. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) EmploymentLaw & Order Read →
18 February 2026 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that complaints of wild animal attacks, snake and wasp bites, and chemical-related accidents are reported from JEDB and SLSPC estates, but the Ministry does not receive specific data from regional plantation companies. He said SLSPC reports about 500 wasp-related incidents annually, while JEDB estates recorded 19 wasp attacks, 6 snake bites, 5 elephant attacks and 1 sloth bear attack over the past five years. The Minister outlined preventive measures including removal of wasp nests, avoiding deployment near nests, clearing estate boundaries, use of protective gear, medical referrals, training and awareness programmes, chemical safety procedures, and compliance with environmental certification standards. Oral Question: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) HealthcareAgriculture Read →
5 February 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented annual reports of the Tea Smallholdings Development Authority for 2016, the Janatha Estates Development Board for 2019, and the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka for 2023. He proposed that the reports be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Use of Resources, and the House agreed. Papers Presented: Government Reports and Annual Reports Agriculture Read →
22 January 2026 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that only 5,000 MT was authorized for import, despite an estimated 10,000 MT shortfall, to prevent a fall in farm-gate prices when the local harvest entered the market. He explained that import permissions were issued in two phases according to market conditions and noted that small-scale operators face financing and scale constraints, often sourcing from licensed bulk importers. He said allowing multiple micro-imports would require coordination with the Trade Ministry and undertook to discuss the matter with them. Oral Question: Cashew Corporation - Establishment, Objectives and Operations AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
22 January 2026 AI summary Sri Lanka’s annual cashew kernel demand is about 25,000 MT, while the projected 2025 domestic harvest is only around 15,000 MT, with demand rising due to tourism. The Minister stated that 5,000 MT of imports had been authorized to protect supply while safeguarding local growers, related industries, and jobs, with licences issued for about 3,000 MT so far. He said the Government would promote local production and coordinate with agencies such as the Consumer Affairs Authority to address substandard or mixed cashew imports, while guiding importers toward quality sources including Tanzania and other African suppliers. Oral Question: Cashew Corporation - Establishment, Objectives and Operations Agriculture Read →
22 January 2026 AI summary In response to a parliamentary question, the Minister provided details on the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation, established in 1973 under the State Agricultural Corporations Act, including its objectives of expanding cultivation, improving processing, promoting exports, and developing a Sri Lankan cashew brand. He stated that 38,895 acres were under cashew cultivation by 2024 and gave production, export, and import figures for 2020–2025, noting that some 2025 and 2024 import data were not yet available. He also listed authorized private importers and exporters and said the Government supports local producers through the Cashew Cluster Village Project and restricts imports to off-season or shortage periods. Oral Question: Cashew Corporation - Establishment, Objectives and Operations Agriculture Read →
21 January 2026 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna welcomed the Motion and stated that the Government had approved Rs. 5,000 million to support an increase in estate workers’ daily wage from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,750, effective from January and payable by February 10. He outlined the scale of damage from Cyclone “Ditwah”, citing Disaster Management Centre and NBRO figures for Matale and nationally, and said relief payments, resettlement, school repairs and irrigation restoration were progressing with support from State agencies, security forces and volunteers. He argued that, despite shortcomings, the disaster response had been effectively managed and called for a constructive Opposition and national cooperation, while also referring to Government efforts against narcotics, organized crime, corruption and fraud. Adjournment Debate: Post-Cyclone "Ditwah" Situation (Part 1) InfrastructureSecurity & DefenceEmployment Read →
20 January 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said SMEs in the coconut husk sector are struggling against large, technology-intensive producers and high husk prices, which reached about Rs. 22 per nut in some areas in November 2025. He stated that recent foreign investment approvals were withheld to protect SMEs, while the medium-term policy is to expand domestic husk supply by increasing coconut production and productivity. He identified improved fertilization, irrigation and moisture conservation, and pest and disease control as necessary to raise yields from existing coconut stands and meet the target of 4.2 billion nuts by 2030. Oral Question: Export Crops and Coconut Production Targets (Q.49/2026) EmploymentAgriculture Read →
20 January 2026 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna outlined measures to raise coconut production from about 2.7 billion nuts in 2024 to 4.2 billion by 2030 through new planting, replanting, infilling, and estate rehabilitation. He noted allocations of Rs. 500 million last year and Rs. 600 million in the current Budget for expanding the Northern Coconut Triangle to 40,000 acres by 2027, alongside continuation of the Home Garden Programme. He also said a cluster-based rehabilitation programme is being prepared for neglected or absentee-owned estates in Kurunegala, and that legal controls are in place to prevent unauthorized subdivision of coconut lands. Oral Question: Export Crops and Coconut Production Targets (Q.49/2026) Agriculture Read →
20 January 2026 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna responded to a question on coconut as an export crop, stating that 2024 estimates record 484,678 hectares under coconut and 658 million coconut trees, with a target of increasing production to 4.2 billion nuts by 2030. He outlined support measures including fertilizer subsidies, moisture conservation and water-system assistance, pest and disease control, wildlife-damage mitigation, and rehabilitation of underutilized lands in the coconut triangle. He also detailed coconut-based export products and earnings, noting that exports reached USD 1,127 million from January to November 2025, while identifying raw material shortages, rising husk prices, regulatory overlap, and limited technology adoption as key issues in the coir sector. Oral Question: Export Crops and Coconut Production Targets (Q.49/2026) Agriculture Read →
20 January 2026 AI summary The Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure presented the 2018 Annual Report of Elkaduwa 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. Papers Tabled - Annual Reports Parliamentary ProcedureAgriculture Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna requested two weeks to provide an answer to the question raised. The question was accordingly ordered to stand down. Oral Question: Q.1576/2025 (Adjourned) Parliamentary Procedure Read →