Sitting of Friday, 23 January 2026
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23290 ·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 and Announcements 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers Presented and Committee Reports 5 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 4 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Questions: Heda Oya Irrigation, Thondaman Foundation, Schools, Hydropower, Sugar Factories, Ragama Town, Monaragala Lands, Badulla Cooperatives 41 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question No. 8 (Deferred) and Question Stand Down 9 speeches
- 6 Procedural Procedural Matters and Points of Order 18 speeches
- The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB
AI summary The Minister tabled a written answer on the National Housing Development Authority’s technical staff, stating that the former unified Technical Officers’ Service was abolished from 1 January 2006 under Management Services Circular No. 30 and that current staff have been restructured accordingly. He said NHDA’s technical workforce stood at 412 as at 30 November 2025, that no per-kilometre travel allowance is paid, and that eligible field-based staff receive a combined allowance for up to five days per month under the latest instructions in Management Services Circular 01/2025. The answer also stated that promotion procedures are being updated according to Department of Management Services guidance, 2026 development allocations total Rs. 17,137.4 million including Rs. 12,128 million from the Treasury, and the number of technical officers is sufficient for those allocations.
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary The Leader of the Opposition raised a point of order under Standing Order 146 regarding a Staff Advisory Committee meeting on an alleged incident of sexual misconduct in Parliament. He stated that Members had only received a note on the Inquiry Officer’s report and its conclusion, and requested that the full report be provided before the Committee discussion.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha raised a point of order concerning the responsibility of Parliament’s authorities for facilitating MPs’ movement. He said he faced an unfair situation after entering through the Katunayake e-gate, but the provided excerpt ends before the details or any specific request are stated.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha briefly raised an issue regarding expressway toll charges, stating that travel from the Katunayake e-gate to the Kerawalapitiya exit previously cost LKR 1,150. His intervention appears to seek clarification or draw attention to a change or concern relating to toll payments on that route.
Cost of Living Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha raised a personal grievance regarding an incident on the expressway, stating that he entered at Peliyagoda due to traffic while travelling urgently to a wedding and exited at Kerawalapitiya without having been issued a ticket. He indicated that officials at the exit nevertheless insisted he comply with a requirement, implying a dispute over toll or ticketing procedure.
Infrastructure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa addressed the Speaker directly, appearing to question or remind him of his responsibility in the proceedings. The excerpt is incomplete and does not contain a substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue beyond that procedural reference.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa stated that Members of Parliament should be facilitated to arrive on time on sitting days, describing this as a matter of parliamentary privilege.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa briefly requested permission to raise a matter at that point in the proceedings, indicating that the timing necessitated immediate attention. No substantive policy issue or proposal was stated in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha briefly notes the presence of the Minister and requests that the matter be resolved immediately. The intervention is procedural and does not set out further details on the issue under discussion.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha raised a complaint about tolling arrangements at the Kerawalapitiya highway exit, stating that he was initially required to pay LKR 1,150 due to the absence of an e-gate but was later issued a LKR 200 ticket after CCTV verification. He said the problem had persisted for 15–20 days and requested the Minister to resolve it, noting that other road users had also complained.
Infrastructure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said congestion at Peliyagoda and Katunayake was not directly caused by changes at Kerawalapitiya, though there had been initial adjustment issues after removing the ticket requirement. He said expressway widening was not a practical response to vehicle growth and that the Government was instead upgrading long-delayed electronic toll collection equipment, installing displays, and adding ETC counters. He stated that, once necessary systems such as displays, machines and cameras are fixed, public transport vehicles would be required to use ETC cards during peak hours while some manual counters remain available for users unfamiliar with the system.
- 7 Oral question Standing Order 27(2) Questions: Attorney-General Independence, Gold Jewellery Return 25 speeches
- 8 Papers Ministerial Statement: Vehicles for Welfare Centres 2 speeches
- 9 Debate Debate: Universities (Amendment) Bill - Second and Third Reading 75 speeches
- 10 Procedural Business of Parliament: Constitutional Council Appointments Resolution 8 speeches
- 11 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Stock Exchange Activity and Ministerial Response 17 speeches