Topic
Land & Housing
1,053 speeches · 220 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.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 106 |
| 2 | Hon. Anura Karunathilaka, M.P. JJB | 43 |
| 3 | Hon. Aravinda Senarath, M.P. JJB | 39 |
| 4 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 26 |
| 5 | Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 6 | Hon. Jeevan Thondaman, M.P. UNP | 22 |
| 7 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 22 |
| 8 | Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan, M.P. ITAK | 20 |
| 9 | Hon. Mano Ganesan, M.P. SJB | 18 |
| 10 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 18 |
Speeches
1,053 on this topic- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana JJB AI summary Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana raised concerns that about 80 perches of land, previously linked to Ceylinco and now administered by Navloka after Treasury intervention, may be sold illegally instead of being retained for public use. He asked what action the UDA and BOI will take to prevent the sale and make the remaining land available as common amenities for local residents. Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana JJB AI summary Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana questioned the adequacy of the official response regarding the “Millennium City” project, noting that 135 acres of public land had been allocated and alleging that the required common amenities reservation under the UDA Act had not been physically provided. He asked what action would be taken to identify and make available the required common amenities land for residents within the complex. Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma – Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister responded on behalf of the Finance Minister regarding BOI land in Athurugiriya leased to Ceylinco Developers for a 99-year housing project. He stated that the project was planned and constructed according to UDA-approved drawings, that land reserved for common amenities is physically in use for that purpose based on preliminary verification, and that no BOI alienation of such land or allocation of marshland outside the complex had occurred. He added that any specific issues could be examined and necessary action taken following inquiry. Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana JJB AI summary Asked the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for details on the Millennium City Housing Complex at Oruwala, including the extent of Steel Corporation land purchased by Ceylinco Developers, whether the Urban Development Authority approved the development plan, and what lands were required, planned, and physically reserved for common amenities. The question also sought clarification on whether common-amenity lands were instead allocated from marshland outside the complex, the legality of such action, any alienation of reserved lands, and measures taken to recover or address those lands. Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Lasith Bhashana Gamage JJB AI summary Hon. Lasith Bhashana Gamage raised a supplementary question on the condition of co-operatives, citing the Gampaha Co-operative and alleged irregular promissory notes at its head office. He asked the Minister how long the Ministry would take and what procedure it would follow to regularize not only warehouses but also shops and plots leased out under various arrangements. Oral Question: Warehouses of Co-operative Wholesale Establishment in Welisara - Lease (Q.8/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that some development projects may be discontinued due to consequences of the economic crisis, poor political management, inadequate feasibility studies, and projects driven by local interests rather than economic returns. He said the Government intends to proceed methodically, address difficulties around land acquisition and release, and avoid holding acquired lands idle without clear development plans. He added that lands in some river basins that have remained unused for 20–30 years should be returned to the people, and that the new Government will seek to minimize such situations in future. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna asked whether the Government intends to establish a mechanism to acquire title to land in advance for a proposed route or future development. She noted that future acquisition could increase costs due to higher market valuations, and asked whether the State could pay current valuation amounts to resident possessors and vest the land title in the Government now. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that the proposed Habarana railway extension, initiated around 2019, was discontinued by Cabinet decision in March 2023 after around 4,440 land plots covering about 350 hectares had been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. He said affected landowners include those who received advance compensation and those who did not, and that the Government is considering fair relief as the lands are returned. A joint Cabinet memorandum has been submitted through the Ministry of Lands, with further action expected after ministry observations and possible coordination through the District Coordinating Committee. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Asked whether relief could be provided to residents who lost income because lands in the Matale District under the Moragahakanda-Kaluganga Project remained undeveloped for many years. She noted that any relief should go to the occupants in possession, while recognizing that ownership of the lands lies with the Dambulla and Bambawa Rajamaha Viharas under the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, and sought a mechanism to address the income loss. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that lands in the Galewela and Dambulla Divisional Secretary’s Divisions have vested in the State under the Land Acquisition Act, with certain temple properties and public lands affected as specified in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2126/52 of 6 June 2019. He said a joint Cabinet Memorandum on the matter was submitted by the Ministry of Lands on 12 December 2024, but no Cabinet decision had yet been received, and subsequent actions would depend on that decision. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 21 May 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna asked whether the Government acknowledges that lands and properties, including those belonging to Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya, Bambawa Rajamaha Viharaya, and residents of Galewela and Dambulla, were legally acquired for the proposed Kurunegala-Habarana railway line via Dambulla. She sought clarification on whether those lands will be returned to their original owners, whether compensation or ex-gratia payments will be made for deterioration and loss of income over about ten years, and the procedure and timeline for such payments. Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam argued that the Government’s stated aim of resolving land documentation problems in the North-East was inconsistent with the law being used, warning that unclaimed lands could vest in the State by 28 June unless the Gazette was revoked. He urged the Minister to withdraw the Gazette, consult Tamil Members from the North-East, and instead use a committee or commission process similar to approaches for wildlife or forest lands. He said affected communities had not been adequately informed within the three-month period and pledged cooperation to address displacement- and tsunami-related land issues if the current legal mechanism was abandoned. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation JJB AI summary Minister K.D. Lal Kantha addressed concerns that Forest and Wildlife Department demarcations in the North have included lands historically used by residents, stating that a Cabinet-appointed committee with the Environment Minister will propose measures to return verifiable lands promptly. He said a contested Gazette covering four districts and four Divisional Secretariat divisions would be reviewed, with legal and procedural decisions to be discussed on 23 May in Parliament under the Prime Minister’s leadership with the Attorney-General, North and East MPs, and officials. He emphasized that the Government has no intention of appropriating people’s lands and, if necessary, would halt the Gazette in accordance with the law. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar - Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources JJB AI summary The Minister said land disputes, particularly in Tamil areas, remain serious and require a proper process to identify, demarcate and distinguish public and private land. Referring to the relevant Gazette and past mechanisms dating from 1931 and the 1950 Settlement Boards, he argued that the exercise is intended to resolve and regularize land issues, not to seize private lands. He urged consensus among Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim Members, while acknowledging suspicion arising from past politics and the scale of disputes in the North. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary The Hon. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam supported the Adjournment Motion and said past use of Forest Department powers, including in 2014, had resulted in privately claimed lands being declared as forest, with some only now being released. He urged the authorities to allow sufficient time to verify whether affected lands are genuinely forest, release lands wrongly gazetted, and avoid issuing further forest-related Gazettes until people’s long-held lands, homesteads, tanks, and cultivated plots are properly excluded. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 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 said the Government has no intention of appropriating private land or pursuing a nationalist settlement agenda, and argued that the relevant Gazette applies to all nine provinces rather than only the North. He stated that Cabinet has agreed to a programme by the Lands and Environment Ministers to address land demarcation issues, particularly in the North where traditionally occupied and cultivated lands lack proper boundaries. A joint Cabinet Paper will propose a special committee aimed at resolving disputes and returning the maximum possible extent of land to affected people. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper disputed a Government-side claim regarding land claims under the Land Settlement Ordinance, stating that without legally established title, land may be declared State land under Section 5(1). He condemned the use of the colonial-era Ordinance in Mullaitivu, arguing that development needs should instead be addressed through existing State land, eviction of unauthorized occupants under the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act, or acquisition with compensation under the Land Acquisition Act. He warned that the process could extend to other areas and called for the relevant Gazette to be revoked, saying suspension was not provided for under the Ordinance. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. S. Sri Bavanandarajah JJB AI summary Hon. S. Sri Bavanandarajah addressed concerns over a recent land Gazette, stating that its purpose is to identify landowners and regularize titles rather than seize land. He said owners, including those overseas through authorized attorneys, can submit evidence of ownership, residence, cultivation or use to the Land Registry. He noted that implementation has been temporarily paused and that further decisions will be taken at upcoming District Development Committee meetings with MPs and officials, including on the allocation of State lands, preferably to diaspora Tamils seeking to invest or start industries. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna urged the Government to withdraw the 28 March Gazette, which he said would vest Tamil lands in the State and risk inflaming Sinhala-Tamil tensions. He argued that Tamils are not seeking division or others’ land, but want to continue living on their own lands in the North and East. He called for consultation and dialogue with Tamil representatives before any such measures are taken, stating they are ready to support discussions after the Gazette is withdrawn. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →
- 20 May 2025 The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK AI summary Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan supported the Adjournment Motion and argued that the Gazette of 28 March would facilitate the seizure or diversion of Tamil lands in named villages across Mullaitivu, Jaffna and Kilinochchi. He said reports that the Gazette had been suspended were contradicted by the Minister’s statement, and demanded that any suspension be formally done by a new Gazette before consultations with Tamil representatives. He linked the issue to the wider ethnic conflict, military-held lands, loss of documentation among displaced families, and delays by Divisional Secretariats, calling for the Gazette’s withdrawal as the first step toward a proper resolution. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Read →