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 December 2025 AI summary The Minister said the Government had managed the “Dicha” cyclone disaster while also dealing with the economic crisis, citing 1,702,719 affected people, 643 deaths, and 183 missing persons. He detailed restoration work in Badulla and surrounding areas, including drinking water, electricity, hospitals, roads, bridges, railways, and irrigation infrastructure, and thanked public officials, local authorities, defence forces, Indian assistance teams, and volunteers. He said Rs. 25,000 house-cleaning payments had been made to 257,479 families and Rs. 1,535 million in crop compensation to 26,072 farmers, while arguing that the State response had largely stabilized essential services and community life within 22 days. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Public FinanceInfrastructureSecurity & Defence Read →
18 December 2025 AI summary The Minister presented the 2023 Annual Report of the State Plantation Corporation of Sri Lanka and moved that it be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resources. The motion was put to the House and agreed to. Papers Tabled: Reports, Supplementary Estimate, Regulations, Orders and Performance Reports AgricultureParliamentary Procedure Read →
5 December 2025 AI summary Moved motions to approve the annual reports of the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation for 2019 and 2020 under section 23 of the State Agricultural Corporations Act, No. 11 of 1972, including the Auditor-General’s observations. Also moved approval of the 2022/2023 annual report of Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory Limited under section 14 of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. Each report had been considered by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantations and Rural Infrastructure, and all motions were agreed to. Procedural - Bills and Resolutions: Second Reading and Approvals Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
5 December 2025 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna moved a Committee Stage amendment to the Appropriation Bill, 2026, relating to Head 337. The amendment seeks to delete specified lines on page 28 in order to transfer the recurrent and capital allocations for the Department of Cinnamon Development to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, in line with Extraordinary Gazette No. 2458/65 of 18 October 2025. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Continued Budget Debate and Amendments AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
5 December 2025 AI summary Moved amendments to the 2026 Appropriation Bill during the Committee Stage on behalf of the Minister of Finance, revising allocations for the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. The amendments increased total recurrent expenditure to Rs. 13.35 billion and reduced capital expenditure to Rs. 11.7 billion, with a further Rs. 7.5 billion increase under Head 135, Programme 02, reflecting Budget Proposals Nos. 14 and 23. The relevant recurrent and capital expenditure votes, including Programme 01 and Programme 02 allocations, were put to the House, agreed to, and ordered to stand part of the Schedule. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Continued Budget Debate and Amendments Public Finance Read →
5 December 2025 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna described the recent disaster as an unprecedented national calamity, with severe loss of life and infrastructure damage in plantation areas and across Badulla, and argued that mountainous terrain makes recovery especially difficult and costly. He outlined relief and restoration efforts, stating that daily district disaster management meetings were held, most water and electricity services had been restored, many key roads reopened, and repairs to provincial roads, bridges, communications towers, and hospitals were progressing with support from state agencies, the military, volunteers, and utility workers. He criticized the Opposition for allegedly failing to participate in local disaster coordination meetings, questioned claims that they had warned of the disaster earlier, and linked some damage to past debt-funded development that he said had environmental consequences. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Budget Debate on Disaster Response and Government Allocations InfrastructureSecurity & DefencePublic Finance Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna outlined the Government’s response to severe weather caused by a low-pressure system, noting widespread flooding, reservoir spillovers, landslide risks, and 26 reported deaths in Badulla. He said the President had directed immediate action involving the Tri-Forces, Police and officials, with district and divisional coordination mechanisms to gather information and deliver relief, including cooked meals, dry rations and compensation for crop damage. He also noted the postponement of the Advanced Level examination by two days and said party leaders would consider allowing Members time away from the Budget debate to attend to affected constituents. He urged residents in landslide-prone and downstream areas to evacuate and follow official instructions. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Public FinanceEnvironmentLaw & Order Read →
26 November 2025 AI summary A petition from Mr. K.M. Manawasinghe Bandara of Hospital Road, Bandarawela, was presented and accepted for submission to Parliament. Petitions: Acceptance of Petition from K.M. Manawasinghe Bandara Parliamentary Procedure Read →
25 November 2025 AI summary The Minister tabled a written answer on the waste of palmyrah toddy and the proposed reactivation of the Thikkam Distillery, noting that it has not operated since 2012 and would require a minimum daily input of 30,000 litres from Northern Province districts. He said a 25-year lease had been signed in 2022 with Royal Cast (Pvt.) Ltd. to renovate and operate the facility, but protests by toddy-supplying co-operatives have delayed operations, with discussions ongoing to reach agreement. The answer also detailed previous budget allocations and construction works, returned funds, expected benefits of modernization, and broader Palmyrah Development Board projects for cultivation, value addition, marketing, training and co-operative strengthening. Oral Question: Palmyrah Toddy Waste and Thikkam Distillery AgricultureEmploymentPublic Finance Read →
25 November 2025 AI summary The Minister presented the 2022 Annual Report of the Chilaw Plantation Company and moved that it be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resource Management. The motion was agreed to, after which proceedings moved to oral questions, including a question on online access to information on members’ EPF contributions. Papers: Annual Report of Chilaw Plantation Company 2022 Parliamentary Procedure Read →
13 November 2025 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna briefly responded to Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara’s remark that he was “not all right.” No substantive policy issue, proposal, or legislative matter was raised in the quoted portion. Sittings Motions and Adjournment of Debate Order Parliamentary Procedure Read →
13 November 2025 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said his own parliamentary privileges had been affected by allegations that he breached another Member’s privilege. He stated that remarks he made to the media about security threats to Hon. Marikkar were based on a meeting chaired by the Speaker on Opposition MPs’ security, where Marikkar allegedly said the threats came from within his own party. He asked the Speaker to inquire into how matters from the Constitutional Council were being disclosed, and maintained that any issue regarding Marikkar’s security arose internally within the Opposition party, not from his comments. Privilege Matters and Procedural Issues Parliamentary Procedure Read →
13 November 2025 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna began to respond to a statement made by Hon. S.M. Marikkar. No substantive policy position, proposal, or question is included in the provided excerpt. Privilege Matters and Procedural Issues Parliamentary Procedure Read →
12 November 2025 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Vidyarathna clarified that the 2025 estate housing programme planned 4,700 houses, with beneficiaries selected by Divisional Secretary-led committees prioritizing families at high landslide risk, but the process was delayed after representations to the Indian High Commission. He stated that deeds had recently been issued for 2,056 houses in Bandaragama and that contractor-related issues affecting 1,300 houses from the previous year were being addressed. He also said the New Villages Development Authority for the Plantation Region was not being abolished and that, for the first time, it had been given a dedicated Budget line to strengthen it institutionally. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Public FinanceLand & Housing Read →
12 November 2025 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna supported the Budget, describing it as focused on public welfare and social needs, and highlighted an allocation of Rs. 12,000 million to begin establishing a new multi-storey cardiac centre to address long waiting lists for heart surgeries in major hospitals. He also referred to the creation of 75,000 jobs and increased allowances for railway level-crossing gatekeepers as measures the Government was implementing. He urged the public to support the Government’s programme, including its actions against corruption, narcotics, and the underworld, and said it would deliver improved living conditions. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Public FinanceCorruption & Governance ReformHealthcare Read →
12 November 2025 AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna defended the Budget as setting the Government’s economic direction toward expanded investment, SME support, digitalization, and a targeted 5 percent growth rate, with a longer-term aim of 7 percent. He said vehicle procurement was intended to improve State sector efficiency rather than provide luxuries, and described reforms such as a BOI single-window system, transparent allocation of underutilized Ministry lands, and listing abandoned bungalows and closed factories for investors. He argued that removing administrative bottlenecks, improving infrastructure, and adopting technologies such as AI would attract investment, create jobs, and support economic expansion. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate InfrastructurePublic FinanceEmployment Read →
12 November 2025 AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna defended the Budget allocation for estate workers, stating that Rs. 5,000 million is sufficient to provide the proposed Rs. 200 benefit because Labour Ministry figures show 87,600 registered RPC estate workers, not 140,000. He argued that the Government inherited major unpaid obligations, including EPF/ETF, gratuity arrears, senior citizens’ interest subsidies, and stalled State projects, and said the Budget allocates funds to address these issues, make multipurpose workers permanent, and complete projects such as the Dambulla cold store and the Badalgama MilkCo plant. He said there are no new taxes and that improved revenue collection and targeted transfers to workers, persons with disabilities, children, and other groups would help resolve social problems and stimulate the economy over the Government’s term. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Cost of LivingEmploymentPublic Finance Read →
12 November 2025 AI summary The Minister defended the Budget proposal to increase estate workers’ daily wage to Rs. 1,750, comprising Rs. 200 from companies and Rs. 200 from the Government, and said the measure would add Rs. 10,000 to monthly income for 25 workdays. He rejected Opposition claims that the Government contribution is illegal, arguing that approval of the Appropriation Bill provides authority and comparing it with existing subsidies and planned support for private-sector employees with disabilities. He also alleged misuse of World Bank-funded ASMP grants under previous administrations, named several recipients, said the Treasury had repaid a demanded amount to avoid consequences for Sri Lanka, and stated that legal action through the Attorney-General is being pursued. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate EmploymentPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
24 October 2025 AI summary The Minister said the Government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries, is supporting SMEs and palmyrah producers through schemes and credit programmes. He invited local and overseas Sri Lankan investors to invest in palmyrah value addition, noting that Sri Lanka has about 11.1 million dispersed palmyrah trees and that discussions are under way to legally allocate clustered access for investment. He said the Government is ready to facilitate such partnerships. Oral Question: Palmyrah as a Crop of Significant Value (Q.6/2025) EmploymentAgriculture Read →
24 October 2025 AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna reported growth in the palmyrah industry, noting exports increased from Rs. 57.83 million in 2023 to Rs. 203.19 million in the first four months of 2025. He said cultivation and value addition are expanding beyond traditional regions into districts such as Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, Ampara and Hambantota, and outlined plans to link palmyrah products with tourism promotion. He also cited training in Ella for low-income households to establish micro-enterprises and said the Ministry intends to further popularize palmyrah products islandwide. Oral Question: Palmyrah as a Crop of Significant Value (Q.6/2025) InfrastructureEmploymentAgriculture Read →