Sitting of Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 22931 ·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 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Ministerial Consultative Committee Report on Energy Regulations 1 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 3 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Incidents of Domestic Violence Against Women from 2015 (Q.1/2025) 7 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: (Q.3/2025) - Stood Over 3 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Land Donated to Reggie Ranatunga Educational Scholarship Fund (Q.5/2025) 6 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: Rangiri Dambulla Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Limited Frauds (Q.5/2025 - Second Round) 3 speeches
- 8 Procedural Oral Question: Lands Owned by Land Reform Commission (Q.?) - Procedural Stand Over 2 speeches
- 9 Procedural Procedural: Ministerial Statements and Parliamentary Business Management 29 speeches
- 10 Procedural Procedural: Ministerial Consultative Committees Motion 3 speeches
- 11 Debate Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) 160 speeches
- 12 Adjournment Adjournment: Dedicated Economic Centres 11 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake moved an adjournment motion opposing the proposed conversion of Sri Lanka’s 14 Dedicated Economic Centres into a limited company, National Agri Market Services Limited, and the vesting of their land and buildings in that entity. He argued that the centres have functioned under District and Divisional Secretaries since 1999, serve farmers effectively, and that transferring them to a company risks public assets and has generated stakeholder opposition. He urged the Government to withdraw or reconsider the proposed legislation, consult affected farmers and traders, and address any management or accountability issues within the existing administrative framework.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake asked the Minister to look into complaints from traders and farmers connected to the shift from Anuradhapura to the new Dambulla centre. He specifically raised concerns about commissions allegedly taken from farmers and requested ministerial attention to the issue.
Agriculture Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB
AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna seconded the motion and said Dedicated Economic Centres were established to protect farmers from middlemen, reduce waste, and provide fair prices to producers and consumers. She questioned whether the proposed limited liability company to manage DECs would meet those objectives, urging renewed consultations with farmers and centre stakeholders before decisions are taken. She also called for practical improvements such as providing electricity for cold storage facilities, particularly to prevent produce from being discarded during glut periods.
- The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs JJB
AI summary Gamagedara Dissanayake discussed alleged irregularities in the management of the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre, including politically influenced appointments, unofficial collections from farmers, charges for entry and toilet use, and politically driven stall allocations to non-stakeholders. He said the centres were intended to benefit farmers but current practices undermine that purpose, with large monthly collections not fully reflected in official management accounts. He supported the subject Minister’s proposal for a structured mechanism to regularize DEC management and argued that those benefiting from the existing system were attempting to obstruct reforms.
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake raised a point of order objecting to the Deputy Minister’s account, stating that the individuals concerned had not come from Dambulla at night to meet them and that the information came from the Keppetipola DEC. He also noted that, as Chair of the Matale District Coordinating Committee, the Deputy Minister was now in a position to manage the matter through the District Secretary and Divisional Secretaries.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna
AI summary Ramanathan Archchuna opposed the Cabinet decision to convert all Dedicated Economic Centres into a private company, noting that the Northern Province lacks a functioning centre. He urged the Minister to visit Chavakachcheri and properly establish the facility, emphasizing the need for actual service delivery rather than misleading announcements.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development JJB
AI summary Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe clarified that National Agri Marketing Services Limited is a wholly Treasury-owned State company with a seven-member board, and said its creation is intended to standardize and improve the management of Dedicated Economic Centres, not privatize them. He cited unresolved audit issues, unrecovered public investment, irregular stall allocations and inconsistent management practices across the 18 centres, and proposed centre-level management committees including officials, traders, farmers, banks, police and local authorities. He outlined plans to address post-harvest losses through improved packaging, operationalize the Indian-funded Dambulla cold storage facility by December, support Government purchases of potatoes and onions, and relocate or refurbish facilities including Thambuththegama. He said leases would be for five years with valuation-based rent revisions, and that earlier draft provisions referring to a private company or re-tendering had been changed after stakeholder consultations.
- 13 Papers Written Answers to Questions and Administrative Notices 12 speeches