Sitting of Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1743759139093629 ·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 Announcements and Papers 2 speeches
- 2 Committee report Committee Reports Presented 2 speeches
- 3 Petitions Citizens' Petitions Presented 5 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Chicken Production and Supply in Sri Lanka (Q.1/2025) 6 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Construction of Liyangastota Bridge (Q.4/2025) 9 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions: Moulavi Certificate and Regidale Estate 5 speeches
- 7 Procedural Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment 23 speeches
- 8 Debate Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) 142 speeches
- 9 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Batticaloa Airport Land Acquisition and Release 15 speeches
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK
AI summary Gnanamuththu Srineshan moved an Adjournment Motion regarding families displaced by the 1985 expansion of Batticaloa Airport, stating that residents from five villages lost homes, fields, roads, schools and other properties. He said around 250 families received alternative lands but, after nearly 30 years, still have no formal deeds and are being asked to pay large lease charges before deeds are issued. He requested that unconditional deeds be granted for the replacement lands and that the former public road, or at least a path along the airport fence, be opened to reduce local hardships.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK
AI summary Requested the opening of the closed internal or fence-line path within the airport area to restore a shorter route for local people. He stated that residents now travel 2.5 kilometres with multiple bends instead of a direct 400-metre path, and asked that relief be provided on their behalf.
Infrastructure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam seconded the Adjournment Motion and called for the release of lands in the Pudur Sri Siththi Vinayagar Temple area still held by the Air Force, arguing that the B and C security zones and related roads should be opened in the absence of war. He raised similar concerns in Batticaloa District, citing schools, markets, camps, and memorial land remaining under military or STF control, and said Defence Ministry approval was needed for releases. He also questioned the lack of action on State lands allegedly occupied in Paddumanodai and urged the Government to implement earlier decisions and promptly return lands to affected communities.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Government has begun releasing lands acquired by the armed forces, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and is addressing delays inherited from earlier administrative processes. He stated that discussions at District Coordinating Committees in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, consultations with the Defence Secretary, and directions from the President and Defence authorities support the release and regularization of lands to rightful owners. He said documentary and communication issues would be corrected, deeds would be issued on an outright grant basis without leases where applicable, and a public report had been requested to expedite resettlement and restoration of property rights.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, speaking on the Adjournment Motion on deeds for alternative lands linked to the Batticaloa Airport expansion, raised related land issues in Vavuniya District. He requested the release of 231.67 acres acquired in 1985 for the Vavuniya Airport and SLAF Headquarters, noting their importance to the A9 corridor and town expansion. He also called for the release of public lands in Eechankulam now occupied by a camp and 14 acres in Kanakarayankulam allegedly occupied beyond the land formally released for an Army camp, including private land and a cremation ground.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran JJB
AI summary Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran addressed land issues arising from the 1985 acquisition of several Vavunativu DS Division villages for the expansion of Batticaloa Airport, noting compensation, lease-land arrears, lost documentation due to war and displacement, and ongoing steps to reissue documents and regularize alternative land allocations. He said the Government expects to resolve these long-pending issues while developing Batticaloa Airport to international standards with related transport, tourism, industry and export benefits for nearby communities. He also stated that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed the staged release of lands held by the armed forces and Police, particularly in the North and East, with details to be collected through District Development Committees and District Secretaries.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna supported the motion and called for the release of lands in the North and East that remain under military control, specifically mentioning Palaly, Vasavilan junction and Keppapulavu. He argued that unresolved land, language and equality issues continue to affect Tamil communities after the conflict, and criticized past and current political actors for failing to secure accountability and decisive action. He urged the Government to take measures, including constitutional changes, to promote ethnic harmony and enable Tamils and Sinhalese to live with equal rights.
- The Hon. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku - Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Government reopened the Palaly–Achchuveli road after decades of closure and is reviewing other roads closed for security reasons, including in the North, East and South, for possible reopening after field assessments. On the airport-related road, he stated that the existing route cannot be opened because it passes through an Air Force base, but a southern alternative is planned using only Air Force land, with approvals obtained. He also said land permit issues in Manmunai North are being handled through due process, with leases currently issued and outright grants to be considered once rightful owners are verified.