Topic
Ethnic Reconciliation & Devolution
885 speeches · 164 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 67 |
| 2 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 51 |
| 3 | Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan, M.P. ITAK | 48 |
| 4 | Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, M.P. ACTC | 37 |
| 5 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 30 |
| 6 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 27 |
| 7 | Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 8 | Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 9 | Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 10 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 19 |
Speeches
885 on this topic- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep - Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB AI summary Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep said the 2025 Budget gives increased priority to education, but plantation-area schools continue to face long-standing shortages of teachers, resources, transport, housing, nutrition support and equitable allocation. He called for filling Tamil-medium and subject-specific vacancies, appointing local graduates, resolving delayed assistant teacher recruitment after court decisions, absorbing acting principals, training over 400 untrained hill-country teachers, and providing incentives for teachers from the North and East to serve in plantation areas. He also urged better facilities for remote schools in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, upgrading Tamil-medium national schools by district, and establishing a university for the hill country. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. Mohamed Sali Naleem AI summary Hon. Mohamed Sali Naleem urged that legal action be taken against individual offenders without blaming entire communities such as Kalmunai or Eravur, and appealed for peace during Ramadan, noting Muslim support for a non-ethnic, non-sectarian President. He also thanked the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation for expediting World Bank-funded rehabilitation of the Eravur–Meerakeny Road and the Housing Scheme–Savukkadi Road, explaining that earlier estimate reductions under the previous government had delayed the projects. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Read →
- 8 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa stated that all government hospitals, whether centrally or provincially administered, fall within the scope of government intervention. He acknowledged staffing and facility shortages, noting they are more severe in the North and East, and said discussions are underway with the Governor and central and provincial officials to fill vacancies and implement a development plan. He invited the concerned member to participate in those discussions. Oral Question: Mutur and Kinniya Hospitals: Physical Resources and Staff (Q.428/2025) Read →
- 8 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media JJB AI summary The Minister provided answers regarding resource and staffing shortages at Mutur and Kinniya Base Hospitals, noting that both have approved cadre vacancies but continue to maintain patient services with existing medical, nursing, and other staff. He said physical resource improvements would be addressed through Provincial Development Provisions according to prioritized needs, and future recruitment would fill vacancies based on provincial service needs, including additional nursing officers. He stated that the hospitals cannot be taken over by the Central Government because, under the Thirteenth Amendment, secondary-care base hospitals fall under Provincial Councils unless they are teaching or special-function hospitals. Oral Question: Mutur and Kinniya Hospitals: Physical Resources and Staff (Q.428/2025) Read →
- 7 March 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Thurairasa Ravikaran requested priority for infrastructure and community-related measures in the North and East, including construction of a bridge across Kokkilai Lagoon linking Mullaitivu and Pulmoddai to improve travel and tourism. He asked that former Thuyilum Illam sites such as Mulliyawalai, Alampil, Theravil, and Eechchankulam be released from military control to allow war remembrance activities. He thanked the Government for allocating funds for the Vattuvakal bridge and urged completion within the year, while also calling for the suspended 2018 housing assistance programme for war-affected and vulnerable families to be fully resumed across the North and East. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage (Heads 117, 123, 306, 307, 309-311, 332, 336) Read →
- 7 March 2025 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Jeevan Thondaman raised an incident in Hatton involving schoolchildren from Nuwara Eliya District who were allegedly abused and forcibly removed from a bus by its conductor. Referring to the Prime Minister’s comments on safety in transport, he asked the Prime Minister and Minister Bimal Rathnayake to take note and act against the conductor, warning against any recurrence of discriminatory treatment historically faced by hill-country communities. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage (Heads 117, 123, 306, 307, 309-311, 332, 336) Read →
- 6 March 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran raised concerns during the Health Ministry Committee Stage debate about staffing, resource and funding shortages at Thirukkovil Base Hospital and other hospitals in Ampara District, and requested adequate supplies of medicines including Factor VII and Factor VIII. He alleged longstanding neglect of Tamil areas in health planning and called for equitable allocations and services. He also urged justice, compensation and housing support for families of murdered journalists, protections for media personnel in the North and East, and action over cases filed against journalists covering the Mayilathamadu and Mathavanai protests. He further requested expedited permanent appointments for eligible dengue eradication officers who have served for several years. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media Read →
- 6 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah welcomed the Budget’s social welfare measures, especially for mother and child protection, and requested urgent health-sector support for the Eastern Province. He called for angiogram facilities at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, citing long delays for patients sent to Jaffna, and sought a permanent MOIC, full doctor cadre, and commencement of the planned building for the Unani Teaching Hospital at Manchanthoduwai. He also urged completion of the central takeover of Pottuvil Hospital, provision of a lorry and ambulance, and appointments to vacant senior posts in the Eastern Province Ayurveda Department. He asked the Government to provide additional funding and support for health services in the war-affected Eastern Province, including Provincial Council hospitals. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media Read →
- 6 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah commended the Budget allocation for free healthcare and acknowledged health workers’ contributions to Sri Lanka’s public health outcomes, while calling for stronger primary healthcare and better staffing of rural hospitals through clustering and resource sharing. He highlighted urgent infrastructure and service gaps in the North, including the long-delayed maternity and critical care units at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, under-equipped facilities at Kilinochchi Hospital, and specialist shortages at the Vavuniya cath lab. He also raised the need to address stray dog-related bite cases, operationalise planned hospital upgrades including making Jaffna Teaching Hospital a National Hospital and Tellippalai Cancer Hospital a specialised hospital, and reopen the Lanka Siddha Ayurveda College in Jaffna. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media Read →
- 6 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath welcomed the 2025 Health allocation and national initiatives, but urged targeted development of Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, including provision of an MRI machine, cath lab and CT facilities. He highlighted shortages and infrastructure gaps in Eastern Province health services, including cadre shortages at Kattankudy and Valachchenai Base Hospitals, outdated public health vehicles, unresolved employment status of dengue suppression staff, and the need to upgrade rural hospitals such as Mahiladittivu. He also called for employment pathways in Siddha medicine, an oncology unit in Trincomalee, correction of birth and death registration arrangements linked to Valachchenai Hospital, and improved recognition and protection for journalists in Batticaloa and the North and East. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media Read →
- 6 March 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary S.M. Marikkar urged the Government to act against alleged corruption in the health sector under the previous administration, including the supply of adulterated medicines, and to disclose accountability details relating to the forced cremation of COVID-19 victims, particularly Muslims, during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government. He questioned the financial viability and competitiveness of state media institutions, calling for improved programming, marketing plans, higher advertising market share, VAT compliance, and a path to profitability while maintaining public responsibilities. He also called for the repeal and comprehensive revision of the Online Safety Act through consultations with journalists, media institutions and experts, arguing that the existing law is being used against media and political opponents. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam highlighted the severity of drug use in the post-war Northern and Eastern Provinces and called for strict enforcement of national laws, including alcohol age limits, regulation of liquor outlets, control of public drinking, and effective use of police powers against illicit liquor production. He noted that the Northern Provincial Administration has established medical rehabilitation centres in all five districts and urged the Minister of Health to provide staff and make them operational promptly. Adjournment Motion: Jaffna - Social Impact of Drug Addiction Among Youth Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam welcomed the Motion but argued that it ignored the extent of militarization in the North and East, where he said most military divisions and coastal Navy camps remain stationed on or near civilian lands. He questioned whether the drug crisis could have developed without military involvement, citing alleged links between security forces and past incidents such as the “Grease Devil” phenomenon and the “Aava group.” He urged the Government to recognize that the existing military presence and mindset toward Tamils cannot be relied upon to resolve the problem unless fundamentally changed. Adjournment Motion: Jaffna - Social Impact of Drug Addiction Among Youth Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake highlighted the economic potential of northern fisheries and related products, including marine plants in Kilinochchi and the jaggery industry beyond the planned Vaddakandal bridge, while noting that northern fishing communities remain poorer than those in the South. He welcomed Budget allocations for the Vaddakandal bridge and called for targeted support for northern fishermen. He urged the Tamil Nadu and Indian Governments to prevent illegal fishing that harms the livelihoods of northern Sri Lankan fishing communities, asking India to enforce its own laws. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Continued: Heads 124, 151, 331 Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary The Minister expressed support during the Committee Stage debate for the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, noting its relevance to the Northern Province and its fishing communities. He commended Minister Ramalingam Chandraseker, Deputy Minister Ranna Gamage and officials, and urged attention to areas such as Kurunagar, the islands, Mullaitivu and Nayaru through fisheries-based livelihood development. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Continued: Heads 124, 151, 331 Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy JJB AI summary Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy highlighted the continuing social, economic and psychological impacts of war on civilians, including poverty, inflation and displacement. He proposed village-level employment and cottage industries based on local resources, implemented through relevant ministries with MPs’ support. He requested the Universities of Jaffna and Vavuniya to submit project proposals to the Government, stating that he would seek Budget funding to train rural communities and create stable incomes. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Continued: Heads 124, 151, 331 Read →
- 5 March 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam raised concerns about northern fishermen, particularly in Jaffna, facing losses from Indian poaching despite a heavy Navy presence, and called for compensation and stronger protection. He urged the Ministry to provide substantial financial assistance, including support for multiday boats, and to ensure the Myliddy harbour benefits local fishermen by handing management to northern fishermen’s federations. He also objected to outside fishermen operating in Nayaru and to sea cucumber permits allegedly granted to non-locals in Kudaarappu, requesting immediate regulatory action. He further asked for dredging, groyne strengthening, and improved coastal access roads from Karkovalam to Neduntivu to support safe fishing operations. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Continued: Heads 124, 151, 331 Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. P. Ruwan Senarath - Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government JJB AI summary Deputy Minister P. Ruwan Senarath outlined 2025 allocations and projects under Provincial Councils and Local Government, including Rs. 22,789 million for local authorities, Rs. 5,000 million for rural roads and bridges, Clean Sri Lanka waste-management initiatives, digitization of all 341 local authorities, and foreign-funded projects in the Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces. He detailed funding for solid waste management, sanitation, recycling facilities, tourism-linked local authority infrastructure, Colombo tax administration and wastewater projects, rural bridges, and proposed Japanese-supported infrastructure for four emerging provinces. He also alleged serious irregularities at the Sri Lanka Institute of Local Governance, including governance failures and missing project funds, and said a new board and Director would be appointed and investigations pursued. He argued that government savings would come from curbing fraud, waste and misuse of public funds, citing past fuel expenditure by a former State Minister as an example. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe commended the Ministry’s administration but urged the Government to restore and strengthen the provincial council system by holding long-delayed elections and returning powers needed for local service delivery. He highlighted unresolved administrative, land and boundary issues in the North and East, including Kalmunai North, Koralaipattu, Trincomalee sub-divisional secretariats, and the long-promised Sainthamaruthu local authority, requesting ministerial intervention. He also asked the Ministry to enforce its circular on District Coordinating Committee meetings by limiting meeting duration, regulating attendees accompanying MPs, and preventing disruptions. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Mohamed Sali Naleem AI summary Hon. Mohamed Sali Naleem raised concerns over unresolved divisional and Grama Niladhari boundary issues in Batticaloa and the wider North and East, arguing that failures to gazette and implement past administrative recommendations have caused land, registration, service-delivery and appointment-related problems for Muslim communities. He cited the Panambalana Commission recommendations, the Koralaipattu Central, Koralaipattu South/Kiran, Oddamavadi, Eravur and related DS/GN divisions, and said land administration has remained irregular despite decades of discussion. He urged the Government, in the context of the Budget allocations for Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, and Labour, to formally demarcate and gazette these boundaries and address perceived inequities in land allocation and programmes such as “Urumaya.” Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →