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10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Wednesday, 21 May 2025

10th Parliament· 15 debates· 144 speeches· 64 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1749121318003248 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  4. 4 Oral question Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) 6 speeches
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna asked whether the Government acknowledges that lands and properties, including those belonging to Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya, Bambawa Rajamaha Viharaya, and residents of Galewela and Dambulla, were legally acquired for the proposed Kurunegala-Habarana railway line via Dambulla. She sought clarification on whether those lands will be returned to their original owners, whether compensation or ex-gratia payments will be made for deterioration and loss of income over about ten years, and the procedure and timeline for such payments.

      InfrastructureLand & HousingPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that lands in the Galewela and Dambulla Divisional Secretary’s Divisions have vested in the State under the Land Acquisition Act, with certain temple properties and public lands affected as specified in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2126/52 of 6 June 2019. He said a joint Cabinet Memorandum on the matter was submitted by the Ministry of Lands on 12 December 2024, but no Cabinet decision had yet been received, and subsequent actions would depend on that decision.

      Land & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Asked whether relief could be provided to residents who lost income because lands in the Matale District under the Moragahakanda-Kaluganga Project remained undeveloped for many years. She noted that any relief should go to the occupants in possession, while recognizing that ownership of the lands lies with the Dambulla and Bambawa Rajamaha Viharas under the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, and sought a mechanism to address the income loss.

      Land & HousingPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that the proposed Habarana railway extension, initiated around 2019, was discontinued by Cabinet decision in March 2023 after around 4,440 land plots covering about 350 hectares had been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. He said affected landowners include those who received advance compensation and those who did not, and that the Government is considering fair relief as the lands are returned. A joint Cabinet memorandum has been submitted through the Ministry of Lands, with further action expected after ministry observations and possible coordination through the District Coordinating Committee.

      Land & HousingPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna asked whether the Government intends to establish a mechanism to acquire title to land in advance for a proposed route or future development. She noted that future acquisition could increase costs due to higher market valuations, and asked whether the State could pay current valuation amounts to resident possessors and vest the land title in the Government now.

      Land & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that some development projects may be discontinued due to consequences of the economic crisis, poor political management, inadequate feasibility studies, and projects driven by local interests rather than economic returns. He said the Government intends to proceed methodically, address difficulties around land acquisition and release, and avoid holding acquired lands idle without clear development plans. He added that lands in some river basins that have remained unused for 20–30 years should be returned to the people, and that the new Government will seek to minimize such situations in future.

      Public FinanceInfrastructureLand & Housing Full speech →