The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Mr. Chairman, I will raise several matters under this Head and expect clear responses from the Hon. Minister.

¶ 02 - In the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (Management Service Officers upward), the earlier merit-based promotional pathway—Grade III to II and II to I via examination every 5 years—has been replaced by a requirement of 10 years in each grade. This unfair change should be reversed and the previous merit exam route restored.

¶ 03 - Recruitment minimums cite six O/L subjects including Sinhala/Tamil/English and Mathematics and A/L pass; however the cadre largely comprises graduates. The long-recommended MN 3 salary category must be implemented without delay as per recommendations of the Combined Services Director General.

¶ 04 - Recruitment quotas should be 70% open and 30% limited competition. However, in three recent intakes, only limited competitions were held. The 2020 open competition was advertised but still not held; conduct it and recruit those who qualify.

¶ 05 On Grama Niladharis, there are long-pending demands: - Uniform allowance to Rs. 15,000 (approved); - Increase monthly travel allowance and communication allowance (to around Rs. 1,500 and provide a fuel-equivalent allowance of 20 litres); - Address understaffing where GNs cover multiple divisions; improve facilitation accordingly.

¶ 06 The key unresolved issue is the Service Minute. The previous government attempted a Service Minute not aligned with GN demands. The Minister should pursue a transparent process and deliver the Service Minute the GN officers requested, including a fair promotion scheme and remedies for longstanding structural gaps.

¶ 07 On politicized victimization: despite assurances, transfers to “pool,” removals, and sidelining have occurred. Examples include: - M.G. Weerasooriya, Sabaragamuwa Chief Secretary — sent to pool and retired thereafter; - Deepika Gunaratne, North Western Chief Secretary — sent to pool; - Damayanti Paranagama, Uva Chief Secretary — removed; - Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Nandana Galaboda — removed; - Ratnapura DS Wasantha Gunaratne — removed; - Matara DS Ganesh Amarasinghe — removed.

¶ 08 These actions undermine officers’ dignity. I urge an end to this culture, and to restore fairness.

¶ 09 On recruitment promises: The NPP’s policy document spoke of 35,000 graduate recruitments—20,000 to teaching, 3,000 STEM, 9,000 non-STEM to semi-technical, and 3,000 to Inland Revenue, Customs, public service, and tourism. Yet the Budget speech does not clearly reflect this. Across provinces, many graduates, including about 800 in North Central Province who passed the teacher recruitment exam, remain without appointments. I table the petition they handed me. Please make a clear statement today on jobs for the 35,000–40,000 unemployed graduates so they need not protest at Polduwa Junction.

¶ 10 On elections: We fought in the Supreme Court and secured directions that local elections must be held. What steps will you take against those who orchestrated delays—pressuring officials, misleading, and subverting rights? One senior official was transferred out of the Ministry and later left the country under pressure. Identify those who masterminded the postponement and their collaborators.

¶ 11 Finally, conduct elections on a level playing field. Do not fold State or religious-cultural programmes into the election calendar in a way that politicizes them. Such activities should be held after the electoral process concludes to avoid ethical concerns. We value religious and cultural endeavours, but they must not be instrumentalized for campaigns.

¶ 12 Thank you.