Sitting of Saturday, 22 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1741001658041256 ·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 Opening: Parliament Convenes and Papers Tabled 3 speeches
- 2 Petitions Petitions 5 speeches
- 3 Oral question Oral Questions: STaRR Project (Q.1/2025), KL-2 Project Kalutara (Q.2/2025), Lands - Elpitiya DS (Q.3/2025), Meegahakiula Bus Station (Q.4/2025) 22 speeches
- 4 Procedural Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage 20 speeches
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake addressed the recent train collision that killed a herd of elephants and described elephant-train collisions as a longstanding issue requiring a sustainable solution. He tabled data on elephant deaths from 2013 to 2025 and said the Ministry and Railways Department had already held meetings, including proposals to form village-level committees at collision hotspots to provide alerts to railway stations. He argued that technical measures alone are insufficient and cited community-based and conservation reports, including the Siyambalangamuwa pilot project and a study by Dr. Pruthiviraaj Fernando’s team, which he placed in the Library for further reference.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said the Government has identified key locations and causes of elephant-train collisions, including high-risk areas on the Batticaloa Line near Thalapathakanda and the recent incident near Gal Oya Junction. He said discussions with the Ministry of Environment, Railways Department, environmentalists, locomotive drivers and local stakeholders had produced immediate and medium-term proposals, including clearing vegetation along railway tracks, adapting bridges and culverts for elephant movement, widening narrow sections where elephants cannot move aside, installing sensors, and using community information. He emphasized public participation and tabled a document listing about 20 reasons for elephant deaths on railway lines, while requesting further practical suggestions from the public.
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa urged the Government to study and adopt proven technologies and design solutions to prevent elephant-train collisions, citing examples from India, Kenya, Japan and local infrared sensor trials near Habarana. He proposed an integrated programme overseen by a standard steering committee involving relevant ministries, experts, officials and political authorities, and requested time during the Budget Session to present Opposition proposals on the matter.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said the Government values the Opposition Leader’s suggestions and is taking a holistic approach involving the relevant Ministry and other institutions. He stated that immediate railway safety measures would be implemented first, with a review in one or two months to ensure such measures become standard practice before moving to broader reforms.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Kumara Jayakody - Minister of Energy JJB
AI summary Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody replied to Hon. Ravi Karunanayake’s Standing Order 27(2) question on the islandwide power outage, stating that it was triggered by a 33 kV busbar failure at the Panadura Grid Substation, which caused under-frequency tripping at several major hydro plants. He outlined the restoration process, said the full system was restored by 3.45 p.m. via the Mahaweli hydro system, and noted that the CEB is assessing economic losses using grid-substation load data. He said the Ministry proposes an urgent Renewable Energy Desk with battery storage at the National System Control Centre, following an ADB agreement in December 2024, and added that preliminary inquiries found no negligence or sabotage while a further internal inquiry is ongoing.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake, speaking as a former Power Minister, said the priority in the electricity sector should be uninterrupted supply and adequate attention to consumers when supply failures occur. He questioned what support or redress is available to the 6.5 million consumers when outages happen for primary system reasons, noting that consumers face disconnection after two months of non-payment while their losses from repeated outages, including on Sundays, are not addressed.
- The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB
AI summary The Hon. Kumara Jayakody acknowledged existing issues in energy-related public services, including access and distance difficulties, and said he had raised and discussed them even before the outage. He stated that the Government is pursuing a people-centric energy transition, is gathering information, and needs time to address and resolve many of the problems.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake raised a procedural point regarding Standing Order 27(2), noting that after a question is asked and the Minister responds, the Member should not engage in further dialogue. He emphasized that the procedure had already been completed in the exchange involving Hon. Ravi Karunanayake.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was stated in the excerpt provided.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara sought a clarification from the Chair, stating that he wished to ascertain the true position on the matter under discussion. No substantive argument or detailed proposal was made in the recorded excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake objected under Standing Order 27(2), asserting that Members should be allowed to seek clarification after an answer to an important question. He emphasized that Parliament should not be treated like a municipal council and implied that proper parliamentary procedure must be upheld.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised concerns about unresolved issues at the Ceylon Electricity Board, including a dispute between unions over renewable energy policy. He questioned whether opposition to renewables was benefiting the oil lobby, noting that renewable power was paid at Rs. 29 per unit compared with a stated production cost of Rs. 78 per unit. He warned that the CEB’s recent Rs. 185 billion profit could turn into a Rs. 40 billion loss within two months, potentially leading to increased electricity tariffs.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB
AI summary Hon. Kumara Jayakody stated that the Government restored electricity within about four hours and would not permit power cuts during A/L examinations, contrasting this with previous periods of prolonged outages. He said the Government, in office for only three months, is studying unresolved issues in the power sector and taking measures, though some actions require time because necessary steps had not been taken earlier. He added that recent threats of Sunday power cuts were managed with low-cost solutions, acknowledged possible customer issues with existing systems, and called for cooperation while denying any “deals” in the sector.
- 5 Procedural Ministerial Statement: Foreign Reserves and Debt Servicing, with Points of Order and Procedural Matters 16 speeches
- 6 Debate Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) 137 speeches
- 7 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Prevention of Unlawful Fishing Activities in the North 14 speeches