Sitting of Tuesday, 5 August 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1754902606038704 ·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 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Reports and Regulations 6 speeches
- 3 Committee report Committee Report: Public Finance Committee Report 1 speeches
- 4 Petitions Petitions 8 speeches
- 5 Procedural Point of Order: Mannar Wind Power Protest 3 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions: Education, Energy, President's Fund, Western Provincial Council Vehicles, Public Security, Pirivena Education, Hospitals in Matara, Land Settlement, Coastal Patrol, and Marawila Schools 66 speeches
- 7 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Youth Services Council Circular 14 speeches
- 8 Procedural Procedural: Standing Order 31 Matter and Question 27(2) on Transport Committee 7 speeches
- 9 Debate Ministerial Statement: Lanka Sugar Company - Pelwatte and Sevanagala Sugarcane Farmers 3 speeches
- 10 Debate Ministerial Statements: Trade and Commerce Issues in Jaffna District 11 speeches
- 11 Debate Ministerial Statement: Medical Faculty Suspension at Kotelawala Defence University 10 speeches
- 12 Procedural Privilege Matter: Alleged Weapon Possession 15 speeches
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Motions and Standing Order 91(1) Discussion 12 speeches
- 14 Procedural Procedural: Sittings of Parliament Motion 2 speeches
- 15 Procedural Privilege Motion: Suspension of Live Telecast 2 speeches
- 16 Debate Debate: Resolution to Remove Inspector-General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon 100 speeches
- 17 Debate Debate: Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Regulations 21 speeches
- 18 Procedural Procedural: Justice and National Integration Regulations 1 speeches
- 19 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Koralaipattu Central Divisional Secretariat in Batticaloa 21 speeches
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj JJB
AI summary Moved the motion that Parliament do now adjourn. The Presiding Member then proposed the question to the House.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC
AI summary M.L.A.M. Hizbullah moved an Adjournment Motion requesting the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government to immediately gazette the Koralaipattu Central Divisional Secretariat with its 11 Grama Niladhari divisions, as recommended by the 1999 Panambalana Committee and subsequent Cabinet decision. He said other recommended Divisional Secretariats had been gazetted, but Koralaipattu Central and Koralaipattu South in Batticaloa had operated for 25 years without defined boundaries, causing administrative confusion and hardship for residents. He welcomed reports of a new Delimitation Committee but urged implementation of earlier accepted recommendations without further delay and called for consultations that avoid ethnic tensions among communities in Batticaloa.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem objected that the mover and seconder of an adjournment motion were allotted insufficient time to present its substance. He argued that this was unfair to Members participating in the motion.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem objected to the allocation of speaking time, stating that it could not be divided in the proposed manner. He argued that the mover of the matter should be given three minutes.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK
AI summary Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan addressed an adjournment motion concerning five GN divisions within Koralaipattu South (Kiran), stating that the affected residents should be consulted on whether they wish to remain there or join another DS division. He said the 18 GN divisions in the area have functioned together since 2002 without ethnic friction, with Tamil and Muslim communities living harmoniously and the five divisions historically linked to Koralaipattu South through community institutions. He cautioned that detaching the five GN divisions could create tensions, especially given land ownership complexities involving state authorities, and called for a transparent resolution through dialogue.
- The Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu JJB
AI summary Kanthasamy Prabu addressed the pending approval of the Koralaipattu Central Divisional Secretariat in Batticaloa, noting that it and Kiran (Koralaipattu South) were created in 2002 following Panambalana Commission recommendations but remain unapproved. He said the proposed Koralaipattu Central division involved 11 Grama Niladhari divisions drawn from neighbouring areas and had been discussed since 1999, including in a 2013 parliamentary committee. He urged that approvals be granted while consulting both communities and preserving ethnic harmony, warning against ethnically driven administrative decisions.
- The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam cautioned against framing issues in Batticaloa and the East as Tamil-Muslim social conflicts or using them for political mobilization, including protests by members of parties in government. He said ITAK was engaged in dialogue to maintain Tamil-Muslim harmony and urged Muslim political leaders not to revive divisive politics, while noting issues such as Kalmunai North must be handled through discussion. He argued that a Delimitation Committee alone would not resolve the matter and called for communities and parties to agree on a solution themselves, warning that rejected outcomes could lead to protests and inter-communal tensions. He also rejected blaming officials, including those in Batticaloa, and said political actors should act responsibly to prevent ethnic rifts.
- The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen SJB
AI summary Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen argued that disputes over DS divisions, including Batticaloa and Kalmunai North, should not be addressed through ethnic or religious boundary-making or electoral politics. He said past administrative decisions had created injustice, but that lasting solutions require direct dialogue among Tamil and Muslim political and community leaders rather than reliance on commissions or government action alone. He urged both communities to compromise, avoid misleading the public, and jointly resolve land and administrative issues in Ampara, Batticaloa and the North.
- The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam raised a point of order responding to Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, denying that he or Hon. Hizbullah had taken members from Bathiudeen’s party. He stated that ITAK had supported SLMC electorally and in forming local administrations, including previously at Ottamavadi and currently at Sammanturai, and called for the parties to discuss and resolve the matter without bringing SLMC–NPP issues into ITAK.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Aboobucker Athambawa JJB
AI summary Aboobucker Athambawa said land and boundary disputes affecting Tamil-speaking communities in the North and East should be resolved through discussion and compromise, rather than being used for ethnic politics. He argued that past governments and leaders had opportunities to address these issues through earlier committees and reports, and called for work with the relevant Ministers and the President to deliver immediate solutions. He also stated that the country should not be divided by ethnicity, religion, or language, and noted that the current administration had maintained calm and prevented ethnic unrest.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath ITAK
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath questioned why the Koralaipattu administrative boundary issue in Batticaloa had been escalated to Parliament rather than resolved at district level, warning that it could provoke protests and ethnic tensions. He argued that the 18 Grama Niladhari divisions in Koralaipattu South, though not gazetted, are functioning normally and should remain unchanged, and similarly that the two contiguous divisions in Koralaipattu North–Vakarai should be maintained. He specifically opposed moving five GN divisions from Koralaipattu South to Koralaipattu West and called for the matter to be handled as an administrative issue affecting all communities.
- The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna - Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government JJB
AI summary The Minister explained that Koralaipattu Central and Koralaipattu South (Kiran) in Batticaloa remain ungazetted despite Cabinet approval in 2000, due to unresolved boundary disputes, objections from the public and MPs, and lack of consensus following later delimitation recommendations. He said the issue involves several neighbouring Divisional Secretariat areas and must be handled carefully to avoid ethnic tensions. He requested that District and Divisional Coordinating Committees discuss the matter and submit an agreed proposal, stating that the Government is prepared to consider a consensus solution promptly rather than initiate another delimitation process.
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem only addresses the Chair, saying “Hon. Presiding Member,” with no substantive remarks, questions, proposals, or policy arguments recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem said a June 24 letter from the District Secretary had caused public agitation and argued that key facts had been withheld from the Minister. He stated that the issue arose from the District Secretary’s decision and could not be resolved through District Secretaries alone, alleging partiality in their actions.
Corruption & Governance Reform Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem stated that the Minister had received information only through the District Secretary and that the Ministry was not at fault for being unaware. He alleged that partial conduct by District Secretaries had aggravated the issue, urging the Minister to take note.
Corruption & Governance Reform Full speech →