Topic
Infrastructure
2,546 speeches · 378 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. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 137 |
| 2 | Hon. Kumara Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 105 |
| 3 | Hon. Anura Karunathilaka, M.P. JJB | 83 |
| 4 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 76 |
| 5 | Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 62 |
| 6 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 47 |
| 7 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 46 |
| 8 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 43 |
| 9 | Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena, M.P. JJB | 36 |
| 10 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 34 |
Speeches
2,546 on this topic- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Aravinda Senarath - Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister defended the Irrigation Department and Mahaweli Authority’s flood management during the November 2025 disaster, citing reservoir monitoring systems, hydrological gauges, real-time data updates and staff deployment during record rainfall. He rejected opposition criticism and argued that agencies had acted methodically to minimize downstream damage, while noting recurring flood risks in areas such as Colombo and Ampara. He said the Government is preparing long-term flood mitigation plans and that the Lands Ministry will identify safe state lands, including LRC and Mahaweli lands, for resettling people from high-risk areas in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Badulla. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Upali Samarasingha - Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister described the recent disaster response in the Northern districts, emphasizing inter-communal cooperation among Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities and support from religious leaders, workers, prisoners, businesses, and citizens from other regions. He reported that in Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Mannar, officials, security forces, and villagers evacuated residents, cleared roads, managed reservoirs, and rescued about 665 people stranded on rooftops. He highlighted severe losses in Mannar, including around 22,000 acres of damaged paddy and more than 10,000 dead cattle, and said District Disaster Management Committees and central and provincial agencies were coordinating relief, rehabilitation, and future preparedness. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe described the impact of the recent cyclone and floods, citing deaths, missing persons, housing damage and severe effects in parts of Kandy District, and noted volunteer and local authority assistance mobilized from the Eastern Province. He urged comprehensive disaster preparedness, including permanent safe resettlement lands for vulnerable hill-country communities, and said delayed relief payments of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 had been raised with the President. He also called for implementation of standing disaster response plans and priority irrigation and drainage works in the Eastern Province, including repairs and schemes related to Mavil Aru, Senanayake Samudraya, Sammanturai–Periyakalappu and Kalmunai–Karavakulam, to reduce recurring flood damage to residents, lands and fishermen. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB AI summary The Minister reported extensive disruption to water services following Cyclone “Dicha”, with 156 National Water Supply and Drainage Board treatment plants and 622 community water schemes affected, leaving about 600,000 connections without supply. He said most systems were stabilized within five to seven days through coordinated work by water sector staff, other agencies, the armed forces, volunteers, and local communities, including emergency bowser supply to major hospitals. He cited preliminary damage estimates of Rs. 5.6 billion for NWSDB infrastructure and Rs. 600 million for community schemes, and stated that short-, medium-, and long-term resilience programmes would follow immediate restoration efforts. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Eranga Gunasekara - Deputy Minister of Urban Development JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara said the Government was focusing on disaster response and recovery after severe flooding, while accusing parts of the Opposition of politicizing relief efforts rather than engaging constructively. He detailed impacts in Colombo District, especially Kolonnawa, including over 86,000 affected families, more than 55,000 damaged houses in Kolonnawa, deployment of about 70 boats, and ongoing garbage clearance said to be over 82 per cent complete. He stated that the Rs. 25,000 cleaning grant would be paid following official assessments, with additional staff assigned to complete payments, and outlined plans under the Prime Minister for Kelani basin flood control, removal of unauthorized structures, and humane resettlement of more than 5,000 households. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne - Deputy Minister of Digital Economy JJB AI summary Eranga Weeraratne outlined the islandwide communications disruption caused by floods, landslides and fibre cuts during the disaster, noting that telecom tower outages fell from about 4,500 to full restoration through operator and military support. He said the Ministry, TRC and operators are reviewing stronger redundancy measures, including satellite backup, inter-operator “camp-on” roaming, and improved tower power resilience. He also reported the launch of a digital Flood Support System handling over 6,000 cases, Starlink and free telecom packages for relief and users, and the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, which had received over Rs. 4 billion through official channels. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Naina Thambi Marrikkar Mohamed Thahir AI summary Naina Thambi Marrikkar Mohamed Thahir highlighted severe flood damage in Puttalam District, including losses to agriculture, salt production, prawn aquaculture and coir-related livelihoods, and called for practical recovery measures such as reduced fertilizer prices, infrastructure support and industry revival plans. He requested proper access roads and restoration of the Puttalam–Mannar road, urgent action to reopen waterlogged schools, and village-level mobile arrangements to distribute the Rs. 25,000 house-cleaning assistance so affected residents need not travel long distances. He urged that relief and economic restoration be approached beyond party politics, emphasizing the national economic importance of Puttalam’s industries. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni - Deputy Minister of Health JJB AI summary Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni reported on the health-sector response to a recent disaster affecting districts including Kandy, noting restoration of essential services with support from the CEB, NWSDB, security forces, engineers and local authorities. He said three hospitals had become non-functional, with Mahiyanganaya and Halawatha restored, Wattegama temporarily operating from the MOH office pending relocation, and eight other facilities also planned for relocation; estimated health-sector damage was Rs. 2,113.5 million. He emphasized preventing disease outbreaks in relief camps, developing AI-assisted rapid warning and inundation systems for areas such as the Mahaweli basin, and expediting NBRO site assessments using external geologists and engineers. He also clarified that an operating bed was temporarily moved from Padaviya to Thambuttegama and said pharmaceutical matters were being handled legally and systematically. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Palani Thigambaram SJB AI summary Expressing condolences for disaster victims, Palani Thigambaram urged national unity and pledged cooperation with government recovery efforts while criticizing its disaster response compared with its past claims in Opposition. He highlighted recurring landslide risks in plantation districts and demanded safe housing for estate communities, including allocation of 7 to 10 perches of land per affected family, temporary relocation or tents, and immediate use of Indian-funded houses. He thanked India, government officials, and the Army for assistance, and called on the relevant Minister to visit affected Nuwara Eliya areas and make decisions to prevent people being forced back to unsafe sites. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB AI summary The Minister said the Government had managed the “Dicha” cyclone disaster while also dealing with the economic crisis, citing 1,702,719 affected people, 643 deaths, and 183 missing persons. He detailed restoration work in Badulla and surrounding areas, including drinking water, electricity, hospitals, roads, bridges, railways, and irrigation infrastructure, and thanked public officials, local authorities, defence forces, Indian assistance teams, and volunteers. He said Rs. 25,000 house-cleaning payments had been made to 257,479 families and Rs. 1,535 million in crop compensation to 26,072 farmers, while arguing that the State response had largely stabilized essential services and community life within 22 days. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah expressed condolences for those affected by the recent disaster and acknowledged Government relief efforts, but said assistance, payments, road clearing and basic services had not reached many affected areas due to local-level administrative lapses. He urged the Government to ensure funds and facilities reach communities, expand capacity for housing damage assessments, and provide a permanent building for Pottuvil Osmania Junior School after its collapse. He also welcomed Dubai investor Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair to Parliament and invited long-term investment in sectors including infrastructure, education, renewable energy, tourism and technology. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti – Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development AI summary Minister Sunil Handunnetti outlined post-disaster support for affected enterprises, stating that nearly 29,649 businesses had been registered, over 10,000 verified, and Rs. 10.5 billion released to 9,628 enterprises in 17 districts, including Rs. 200,000 initial grants per verified enterprise. He said the Government, banks, the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry were coordinating loan moratoria, concessional lending at around 3 per cent, and an Rs. 80 billion enterprise credit programme, while requesting Members to help affected businesses complete registration. He also described expedited mining and material-supply procedures for reconstruction, and reported district-level response and relief figures for Matara and Batticaloa, including flood management, emergency camps, compensation and relief payments. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella raised concerns about disaster relief in the Kandy District following heavy rainfall, landslide warnings, fatalities, and widespread damage. She said the Rs. 25,000 initial grant announced by the President had been allocated to only 21,431 of 51,596 affected families in the district, with low payment rates in several Divisional Secretariat areas, and requested urgent action to expedite payments. She also highlighted the absence of state assistance to 321 displaced families sheltered at Panchawilatenna Sri Ransingharama Viharaya, requested repairs to the collapsed Gurukale-Godawatta road, and described the debris-clearing burden faced by the Gampola Municipal Council after flooding. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Hon. Amila Prasad said recent flooding in Mirigama, Divulapitiya, Katana and Negombo was linked to Ma Oya overflowing, and called for comprehensive irrigation schemes for Ma Oya and Attanagalu Oya, including diversion of water to drought-affected regions. He proposed updated flood benchmarks, systematic maximum flood-level markings, river reservation demarcation, national land-use zoning, and support for households in risk zones to undertake mitigation works. He also urged faster implementation of disaster assistance circulars, protection for affected tenants, concessional finance or moratoria for damaged businesses, and a clear resettlement and housing policy, including possible multi-storey housing near urban areas. He further criticized the absence of digital tools for geo-tagged reporting by Grama Niladharis and asked the Digital Economy Ministry to address this gap. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar questioned whether the Rs. 250 billion Supplementary Estimate is sufficient for post-disaster infrastructure damage, noting that RDA national roads alone may require about Rs. 190 billion and that wider provincial, local, utility and water-sector losses remain unclear. He urged the Government to prepare a comprehensive national damage assessment, present it internationally, convene a donor conference, and seek additional assistance and debt deferment rather than relying on inadequate domestic allocations. He also criticised delays in flood relief and cleanup in Kolonnawa, stating that many affected families had not received the promised Rs. 25,000 payment and calling for urgent waste clearance, faster payments, and use of local officials and state resources to verify and assist affected households. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy JJB AI summary Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy addressed the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, noting severe flooding in the Northern Province, particularly in Mullaitivu, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna, and outlined ongoing Government relief, monitoring, and data collection with the support of officials, security forces, religious leaders, and civil society. He identified blocked and unrepaired canals, bunds, and bridges as a major cause of flooding in Kilinochchi and Jaffna, and requested funding, including a proposed Rs. 200 million allocation for Kilinochchi, to clean and rehabilitate drainage channels. He urged cooperation with Government programmes such as Prajashakthi and called for a collective, non-partisan response to support affected people and reduce future losses. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa urged the Government to expedite procedures for returning people in relief camps to their homes and to clearly state compensation and support measures for affected farmers, damaged houses, land purchase, house construction, schoolchildren, and rent. He specifically questioned whether proposed payments such as Rs. 100,000 per acre, Rs. 500,000 for land, Rs. 1,000,000 for a house, and Rs. 25,000 allowances would be implemented. He also requested the appointment of a Special Select Committee, prioritizing Members from disaster-affected districts, to investigate the causes of the severe devastation. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Namal Rajapaksa thanked volunteers, clergy, school staff, and public officials involved in relief work for people displaced by the disaster and still housed in camps. He criticized government members for, in his view, attempting to downplay or normalize the disaster by referring to rainfall measurements and suggesting such losses were routine, arguing that this was unfair. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB AI summary The Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation began addressing the Deputy Speaker, but the provided excerpt contains no substantive remarks, proposals, questions, or policy statements to summarize. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake said disaster damage in Badulla, including blocked roads, damaged houses, and the Uma Oya anicut, far exceeds the Government’s proposed Rs. 500 billion allocation and called for urgent reconstruction and non-politicized relief distribution. He alleged that unofficial party-linked actors were interfering with Grama Niladharis in processing Rs. 25,000 grants, and urged the Government to treat all affected people equally. He also asked that deductions from soldiers’ wages for disaster contributions be stopped and that they instead be rewarded for relief work. Separately, he warned of a possible Litro LPG shortage if imports shift from the existing Oman supplier to a Swiss company, criticized the exchange rate increase, and cautioned against changes affecting Samurdhi Banks. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →