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

Sitting of Wednesday, 18 February 2026

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 228 speeches· 66 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23308 ·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: Hazards Faced by Plantation Workers: Preventive Measures (1466/2025) 18 speeches
    • The Hon. (Ms.) Ambika Samivel - Question to the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary Hon. Ambika Samivel asked the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure whether the Government is aware of hazards faced by plantation workers, including wild animal attacks, snake and wasp bites, and chemical exposure, and requested complaint statistics for the past five years by category. She also sought details of measures taken to protect workers from these risks and asked whether the Ministry is aware of workplace harassment by employers, whether legal action has been taken to prevent it, and if not, whether such action will be taken in future.

      EmploymentJustice & Human RightsHealthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that complaints of wild animal attacks, snake and wasp bites, and chemical-related accidents are reported from JEDB and SLSPC estates, but the Ministry does not receive specific data from regional plantation companies. He said SLSPC reports about 500 wasp-related incidents annually, while JEDB estates recorded 19 wasp attacks, 6 snake bites, 5 elephant attacks and 1 sloth bear attack over the past five years. The Minister outlined preventive measures including removal of wasp nests, avoiding deployment near nests, clearing estate boundaries, use of protective gear, medical referrals, training and awareness programmes, chemical safety procedures, and compliance with environmental certification standards.

      HealthcareAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Ms.) Ambika Samivel JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Ms.) Ambika Samivel raised concerns about verbal harassment of women estate workers, including by supervisory staff. She requested ministerial attention to establish or enforce legal and administrative remedies to ensure effective action.

      Women & ChildrenEmploymentJustice & Human Rights Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister stated that complaints regarding violations of workers’ rights or harassment fall under the authority of the Ministry of Labour. He added that, in relation to the plantation sector, his Ministry refers reported incidents to the relevant legal authorities and engages estate management to take appropriate action.

      Law & OrderEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Ms.) Ambika Samivel JJB

      AI summary The Member asked who would be responsible for maintaining estate access roads that were previously outside the jurisdiction of local authorities or the RDA/PRDA. She sought clarification on whether the Ministry had discussed maintenance responsibilities with estate companies and managers following recent repairs.

      Infrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary Minister K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna stated that internal estate roads are owned by estate companies and are not vested in local authorities or state bodies, with companies historically responsible for maintaining roads and line rooms. He said that, due to poor maintenance and resident communities’ needs, the Government also has a responsibility to provide basic infrastructure, and that about Rs. 100 million has been allocated through the Ministry to improve estate and estate-adjacent roads while engaging companies on maintenance.

      Cost of LivingInfrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha - Question to the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure SJB

      AI summary B. Ariyawansha asked the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure to provide details on estate housing in the Ratnapura District. He requested the number of estate houses, annual funding allocations from 2020 to date, and planned future measures for their development, with reasons if the information cannot be provided.

      Land & HousingPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister provided district-level data on estate housing in Ratnapura, stating that there are 24,235 estate housing units, including single houses, twin cottages, line rooms, upstairs line rooms, and temporary sheds. He outlined national estate housing development allocations from 2020 to 2025, and specified that Ratnapura received Rs. 58.5 million in 2021 and Rs. 10.2 million in 2025. He stated that ongoing projects listed in the tabled annexes are being expedited, and placed the relevant annexes in the Library.

      Land & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB

      AI summary B. Ariyawansha questioned the Minister on housing for plantation Tamil families, citing over 2,000 families in temporary huts and more than 30,000 families in Ratnapura living in old, overcrowded line rooms. He referred to the Government’s policy promise of 10 perches per family and asked how houses would be built rapidly, including under Indian-assisted programmes. He specifically raised the delayed “Aluth Kaella” site in Suriya Kanda, noting landslide risks, and sought a concrete plan for swift solutions.

      Public FinanceInfrastructureLand & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister said the government is addressing longstanding land and housing insecurity in the estate community by granting 10 perches of land to families without land rights and expanding housing construction. He cited temporary hut settlements, landslide-displaced families, and delays caused by terrain reassessments after the “Ditsa” cyclone, while noting ongoing delivery of houses for affected families. He stated that the Indian-assisted 10,000-housing project is progressing with Sri Lankan funding for infrastructure, with 2,026 grants issued in 2025 and more than 2,600 houses planned in 2026. He also said Rs. 500,000 has been approved for fully damaged houses from “Ditsa” and that discussions are underway to extend support to estate residents without land titles.

      Land & HousingInfrastructureEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB

      AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha asked whether neglected or marginal estate lands in Ratnapura, including Opatawatta and Hunuvalawatta, could be allocated to estate communities for cultivation. He proposed that, in addition to providing 10 perches for housing, portions of these lands be used for high-value export crops such as cinnamon, clove and pepper.

      Land & HousingAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister acknowledged the difficulty of acquiring underutilized plantation lands for public purposes, citing long-term agreements with regional plantation companies and examples such as land for Deniyaya Hospital. He said the Government has directed plantation companies to bring such lands into productive use or lease/sub-lease them to capable parties, while state entities including SLSPC, JEDB and Elkaduwa Plantations have begun advertising thousands of acres for lease. He added that further policy measures are being considered against private companies that fail to develop or lease underutilized lands, and requested Members’ cooperation on reforms linked to worker welfare and wages.

      AgricultureLand & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala - Question to the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala asked the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure to provide details on the current ownership and management status of Nagastenna Estate in Yatiyantota. He also sought information on alleged private encroachments, action taken in response, and measures to develop the estate’s economically, environmentally and socially valuable lands.

      Land & HousingAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary Nagastenna Estate in Yatiyantota, owned by the Janatha Estate Development Board, covers 482.84 hectares and has faced poor management due to financial constraints, lack of inputs, and absence of replanting, though fertilizer and agrochemicals are now being supplied. The estate has 1,646 residents, including 99 unauthorized occupants; legal action has been taken against five external encroachers, while action against unauthorized resident workers has been deferred due to social concerns. Measures to improve productivity include providing inputs and management guidance, and processing 138.26 hectares of underutilized cultivable land for lease or allocation to suitable private investors.

      Land & HousingAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala JJB

      AI summary Asked whether the Ministry has a plan to manage land in Nagastenna, noting that some terraced areas contain mature pine while other areas are affected by invasive species such as manna and attimuru. He requested systematic removal of these species and consideration of directing the land toward suitable crop cultivation.

      EnvironmentAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister stated that underutilized estate lands should be used to meet national economic and social needs, including raising made tea production to 400 million kg and export earnings to USD 2.5 billion by 2030. He said the Government would prioritize appropriate cultivation on such lands while protecting natural forests, removing invasive species, and aligning estate land use with Environment Ministry policies promoting indigenous forest cover.

      EnvironmentAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala raised a supplementary question regarding resettlement after the “Ditsa” cyclone, noting that over 300 high-risk houses remain near Seepoth and Berannawa. He asked whether part of the underutilized lands at Nagastenna could be allocated, subject to proper technical clearance, to relocate some of the affected families.

      EnvironmentPublic FinanceLand & Housing Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary State plantation lands under the Ministry’s institutions may be considered for resettling disaster-affected people, subject to approval by the relevant District or inter-agency coordination mechanisms and clearance from the National Building Research Organisation. The Minister stated that, where suitable lands are available, the Ministry is prepared to facilitate such allocations.

      InfrastructureLand & Housing Full speech →