Sitting of Friday, 10 April 2026
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23479 ·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 of Parliament 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers Presented and Committee Reports 4 speeches
- 3 Committee report Sectoral Oversight Committee Reports on Health, Mass Media and Women's Empowerment 1 speeches
- 4 Petitions Citizens' Petitions 4 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Non-Academic Staff of State Universities (Q.25/2024) 2 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions: Multiple Questions in First Round (Q.2, Q.3, Q.4 and others) 5 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Questions: Second Round and Supplementary Questions 10 speeches
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Ajith P. Perera informed the House that he was raising a question on behalf of Chaminda Wijesiri. No substantive details of the question were provided in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Bimal Rathnayake requested two weeks to provide an answer. The question was accordingly ordered to stand down.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Rohana Bandara
AI summary Rohana Bandara asked the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development to provide details on recent rice imports, including when the decision to import rice was taken to address shortages. He requested the names of government and private importers, quantities imported by each, tax revenue received, and measures to strengthen the public sector’s role in purchasing, storing, and selling paddy and rice.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary On behalf of the Minister, Bimal Rathnayake tabled a response on rice imports and paddy procurement. It stated that imports of GR 11 rice equivalent to Keeri Samba were permitted by Gazette Extraordinary 2458/43 from 15 October to 10 November 2025, subject to importer limits, with institutional details and tax revenue placed in the Library. The response also noted that Rs. 10,000 million has been allocated in 2026 for paddy procurement, with the Paddy Marketing Board targeting 80,000 MT, refurbishing storage facilities, and releasing milled stocks through CWE, Lanka Sathosa, co-operatives, and the private sector.
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera (on behalf of the Hon. Kins Nelson) SJB
AI summary Asked the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development for information on the status of two CWE rice supplying complexes in Hingurakgoda and Pannegamuwa, each reportedly with a 2,000 kg per hour capacity. The question seeks details on when the facilities were last used, why they are underutilized, what the audit report stated, and what measures will be taken to restore them to operation.
- The Hon. R.M. Jayawardhana - Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister tabled a response stating that the Hingurakgoda and Pannegamuwa milling complexes, handed over in 2019 and 2018 respectively, have remained largely non-operational for about 18 years and were idle as of 20 August 2024. He said prolonged disuse had caused deterioration of machinery and buildings, and that future use of the assets, including the 9-acre extent, would be considered after a feasibility study and valuation process.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Jagath Vithana SJB
AI summary Jagath Vithana asked the Minister of Justice and National Integration about overcrowding and staffing shortages at Kalutara Prison, noting that around 2,000 prisoners are held despite an approved capacity of 811. He sought details on measures to reduce overcrowding, fill Jailor and Sergeant vacancies, provide short-term relief for overworked staff, address vacant posts and irregular transfers, and prevent court production delays caused by staff shortages.
- The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law JJB
AI summary The Attorney-at-Law tabled a written answer stating that overcrowding and staff shortages affect Kalutara Prison and many other prisons nationwide, with new buildings planned at Kalutara and other institutions to ease congestion. He detailed ongoing recruitment and promotion processes for Prison Guards and Sergeants, including 317 Guard appointments in 2025, examinations and interviews for further vacancies, and expected deployments by June 2026. The answer said staff shortages contribute to operational difficulties, transfers, and occasional delays in producing inmates before courts, while new vehicles, further recruitments, and a staff review seeking revised cadre approval are intended to address these issues.
- The Hon. P. Ruwan Senarath - Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister tabled the Government’s response on measures for solid waste management, confirming daily collection, temporary non-decaying waste centres, public awareness, monitoring, inter-local authority programmes, and efficient use of sanitary landfill sites. He also stated that the Ashraff Nagar waste retention facility and related infrastructure had been assigned to Comt Bio Gas Oluvil under a conditional public-private partnership MOU for recycling and related waste-to-energy, biogas, and compost activities, following a General Council decision on 17 March 2026.
- 8 Procedural Private Notice Questions and Procedural Matters 14 speeches
- 9 Procedural Order of Business Motions and Agenda Setting 2 speeches
- 10 Debate Debate: No-Confidence Motion Against Minister of Energy (Hon. Kumara Jayakody) 184 speeches
- 11 Adjournment Adjournment of Parliament 3 speeches