The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, these are crucial Votes. The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government oversees all DS offices, yet many DS offices lack adequate facilities and space to serve the public. One cause is large-scale recruitments without commensurate workspace or defined duties, leading to inefficiency and waste despite employees’ willingness to work and go to the field.

¶ 02 On salaries, the Government claims a substantial increase of Rs. 15,750. We must wait for the April pay to know the reality, as figures vary (some say Rs. 900; others Rs. 5,700 for certain grades). There are disparities across sectors and many protests.

¶ 03 I wish to highlight the long-standing issue of Management Service Officers (MSOs). I personally know the Leader of the Opposition discussed this with their representatives, promising to resolve anomalies when in office. The present Government has always championed public servants. In December, the Hon. Minister reportedly assured the anomalies would be addressed through the Budget—but the Budget does not explicitly reflect this. I urge the Minister to resolve the MSO grievances; they are a cadre with strong future potential, many of whom rose from clerk to even Divisional Secretary posts, and proved vital when local authorities functioned without elected members.

¶ 04 On delimitation: we have long discussed the need to adjust DS boundaries to reduce travel for services. In my Kegalle District’s Yatiyantota electorate, residents of four villages under the Bulathkohupitiya DS must travel 40–60 kilometres for services; those around Kandal Oya estate travel up to 60 km. Please urgently review and realign boundaries so people can access closer DS offices, e.g., serve some areas via Yatiyantota DS (10–15 km) instead of Bulathkohupitiya.

¶ 05 On plantation workers’ wages: the President proposed Rs. 1,700. I took part in Wages Board talks as a union representative. I recall the JVP representative then said they would walk out unless Rs. 2,000 was agreed. They left; subsequently Rs. 1,350 was set under the previous Government, not yours. Now, if you can deliver Rs. 1,700, please do so—by any mechanism including the Wages Board.