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

Sitting of Tuesday, 7 April 2026

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 264 speeches· 84 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23476 ·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.

  9. 9 Oral question Oral Question: Aswesuma Programme - Appeals and Objections 22 speeches
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
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    • Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake responded to an Opposition claim that the Auditor-General’s special audit report on coal procurement had not been provided or tabled. Citing Standing Order 26, he explained that papers are presented through the prescribed procedure, recorded in the Minutes, and printed only where the required motion is moved. He stated that the Speaker had presented the report on the Lanka Coal Company procurement process and the 2025/2026 coal season, after which he moved that it be printed, so there had been no obstruction to its printing.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna clarified that her earlier remarks concerned doctors not reporting for duty at Laggala Hospital. She stated that she was pointing out a shortcoming in the Minister’s answer and had not asked a second supplementary question.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna raised a supplementary question about a strike by ambulance drivers in the Central Province, stating that they had been seconded from the Health Department to other departments despite their specialized training. She emphasized that the situation was affecting patient transport, including children being taken to Lady Ridgeway Hospital.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna raised concern about risks faced by patients brought in under decisions involving the Governor and the health sector. She asked what action would be taken to address the issue, describing it as a serious matter.

      HealthcareCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
    • Hon. (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni stated that ambulance drivers fall under two administrative categories: those recruited by the Central Government and those serving in provincial hospitals under Provincial Councils. He said transfers made by Provincial Councils are within their authority and should be accepted as part of the provincial system, adding that the Ministry of Health does not expect any major issue to arise from them.

      HealthcareEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Full speech →
    • Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a point of Order under Standing Order 92(2), requesting that the coal-related report be made available in Tamil as well as Sinhala and English. He argued that Tamil-speaking Members should have access to the report, which he described as concerning alleged corruption involving a Minister.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
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    • Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary S.M. Marikkar raised a question to the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation regarding SriLankan Airlines’ acquisition of a newly acquired A330-200 wide-body aircraft. He sought details on the company involved, who recommended it, the aircraft’s manufacture date, whether it was rented or leased, and the monthly lease payment if applicable, noting the context of concerns about “coal fraud” mentioned earlier in the debate.

      InfrastructurePublic Finance Full speech →
    • Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB

      AI summary The Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation replied to a parliamentary question on SriLankan Airlines’ A330 fleet replacement, stating that the lessor is SASOF IV (AD Aviation Ireland DAC) and the service provider is Carlyle Aviation Management Limited. He said five A330 aircraft owned by SriLankan were due to leave the fleet as of February 2024, and a replacement plan begun in late 2022 led to a Cabinet-approved lease of five A330 aircraft for four years or more after procurement approval. He added that the relevant aircraft was originally from November 2011, was acquired on a lease instalment basis rather than rental, with a monthly lease rental of USD 275,000.

      Infrastructure Full speech →
    • Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar asked, as a supplementary question, how SriLankan Airlines plans to handle previously leased aircraft obtained on costly terms while pursuing new aircraft acquisitions aligned with Government policy. He noted that pre-2014 high-debt acquisitions had burdened the airline and sought clarification on managing those existing liabilities.

      InfrastructurePublic Finance Full speech →
    • Hon. Anura Karunathilaka JJB

      AI summary Some leases are governed by binding agreements that must be honoured until their expiry, regardless of current market conditions. Cancelling them early due to high prices or other reasons would expose the government to significant penalties payable to the counterparties.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB

      AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar questioned whether loan or payment obligations, particularly instalments added during the 2014 Rajapaksa period, could be renegotiated or rearranged. He also raised concerns about SriLankan Airlines’ Colombo–London and Colombo–Melbourne routes, alleging a potential conflict of interest after the airline’s Chairman resigned and a company associated with him began operating on those routes as a local agent, and asked the Minister to respond.

      Public FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
    • Hon. Anura Karunathilaka JJB

      AI summary Hon. Anura Karunathilaka stated that the Government would avoid deviating from established procedures in terminating agreements, citing the risk of penalties as seen in the Airbus matter. He said the Chairman had resigned following concerns over a potential conflict of interest with private operators, and that applications by airlines to operate services to Sri Lanka would be considered while assessing any conflicts with SriLankan Airlines’ operations.

      Public FinanceParliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Aravinda Senarath JJB

      AI summary Answering on behalf of the Agriculture Minister, Aravinda Senarath confirmed that the Tambuttegama Agrarian Service Centre holds 41,828.95 kg of MOP fertilizer and 0.307 metric tons of urea, with the MOP stored since June 2023 and the urea since the 2022/2023 Maha season. He said the stock came under an Asian Development Bank-supported concessional fertilizer programme and remained largely unsold because it arrived after Yala 2023 cultivation needs were met and the centre could not frequently adjust prices to compete with private suppliers. He outlined past sales at revised prices and said farmers were informed through field officers, committees, farmer organizations and seasonal meetings, with credit purchases enabled through the Agrarian Bank, but no definite date could be given for clearing the remaining stock.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna JJB

      AI summary Asked whether the more than 41,000 kilograms of fertilizer held in storage for nearly three years have been tested for quality and standards before distribution. He also sought clarification on the method of distributing the fertilizer, citing national concerns about fertilizer quality.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Aravinda Senarath JJB

      AI summary The Member states that, according to the Fertilizer Secretariat, Urea fertilizer has not deteriorated and is certified as usable for the current season, so there is no obstacle to its release. He adds that tests are still being conducted on MOP fertilizer to determine its suitability before it is released to the market.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna JJB

      AI summary Asked whether an investigation is being conducted into why a large stock of fertilizer remained in storage for nearly three years despite strong demand from farmers. The question was raised as a second supplementary, seeking accountability for the delay in making fertilizer available.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Aravinda Senarath JJB

      AI summary The Ministry stated that while earlier global supply issues have since normalized, the prolonged retention of the stock in a single store requires investigation. Officials have been instructed to examine why it was not distributed and to report promptly so that appropriate action can be taken.

      Public Finance Full speech →