Sitting of Friday, 21 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1740809173064396 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Parliament Opening and Tabling of Special Committee Report 1 speeches
- 2 Petitions Petitions Presented by Members 8 speeches
- 3 Oral question Oral Question: Compensation for Natural Disaster Damages (Q. First Round) 15 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Sri Lankans with E-8 Visa Leaving for Jobs in South Korea (Q.386/2025) 2 speeches
- 5 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Plans for Achieving Foreign Reserve Targets and Debt Servicing 5 speeches
- 6 Procedural Ministerial Statement and Points of Order: Shooting Incidents in Colombo Magistrate's Court and Middeniya 29 speeches
- 7 Procedural Business of Parliament: Scheduling Orders 5 speeches
- 8 Debate Appropriation Bill 2025: Second Reading (Fourth Allotted Day) 88 speeches
- 9 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Elephant Deaths Due to Train Collisions 12 speeches
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Moved the motion that Parliament do now adjourn, initiating the adjournment procedure for the sitting.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna JJB
AI summary Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna moved an Adjournment Motion calling for urgent action to prevent wild elephant deaths caused by train collisions, citing the deaths of five elephants near Galoya on the Maradankadawala–Batticaloa line and annual figures showing repeated fatalities since 2018. He said the Railways, Wildlife Conservation, and Forest Departments must coordinate, including by clearing vegetation near tracks for better visibility and adopting available technologies to detect or prevent collisions. He argued that insufficient implementation, funding, and official attention have allowed the problem to worsen despite the elephant’s protected status and ecological and tourism value.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB
AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla seconded the Adjournment Motion on the human-elephant conflict, arguing that successive governments had failed to provide wildlife with habitat, water, and food while also failing affected communities. He said the government would take responsibility for wildlife management by building tanks, ensuring forage, and creating forest corridors, noting that eight of 12 elephant corridors are blocked and should be addressed. He also briefly rejected Opposition criticism on paddy prices, stating that the government had scientific and policy responses to both human and animal welfare concerns.
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Ajith P. Perera addressed the Motion on human–elephant conflict, linking the issue to historical development, irrigation and agricultural expansion that reduced elephant habitats, while stressing that responsibility should be shared across governments. He questioned whether the 2025 Budget contains any specific allocation, particularly for preventing elephant-train collisions, and asked the Minister to clarify the proposed technological solutions. He called for a cross-party, science-based approach involving wildlife, railway and other experts, and for better coordination among relevant departments to find a fair solution for people, elephants and the economy.
- The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Rasamanickam raised concerns over recurring elephant-train collisions and wider human-elephant conflict in Batticaloa, including crop damage and delays in supplying elephant firecrackers. He asked the Government to state whether it would implement resolutions from the Batticaloa District Development Committee and proposed practical measures such as sensors, improved lighting, and addressing visibility problems near rail bends. He urged Ministers to use Adjournment debates to provide solutions rather than political responses, while expressing willingness to work with the Government on remedial measures.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Minister Bimal Rathnayake thanked the Member for bringing the Adjournment Motion and defended the Government’s right to raise such matters, while acknowledging concerns about the manner in which it was seconded. Addressing the recent elephant–train collision, he expressed regret and said the Transport Ministry had previously met railway officials to identify hotspots, including the Gal Oya area, and seek practical community-based measures rather than costly infrastructure options. He stated that delays in implementing known solutions had contributed to the problem, and that following the incident the Transport and Environment Ministries met officials and agreed on immediate actions, with the Environment Minister to provide further details.
- The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam clarified remarks referenced by the Leader of the House, stating that his comments in the previous day’s Adjournment Debate were intended to address issues rather than create conflict. He said he had referred only to the election context and denied suggesting that only Anura Kumara Dissanayake was good while others were bad.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that he had already clarified the matter and emphasized that ego-related issues were not a concern.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Dammika Patabendi - Minister of Environment JJB
AI summary Minister Dammika Patabendi addressed the recent deaths of seven elephants struck by a train between Minneriya and Gal Oya, outlining immediate and long-term measures to prevent similar incidents. He said budget allocations totalling about Rs. 640 million cover human-elephant conflict, wildlife conservation, and capacity upgrades, and that officials will inspect high-risk railway sections, clear vegetation, identify affected GN Divisions, and coordinate with local communities. He also announced plans for a special committee to accelerate technology-based solutions such as sensors and train alerts, in coordination with the Railways, Wildlife Conservation, and Digital Economy authorities.