The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I wish to express my views in this House on the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation for the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government for the year 2025.

¶ 02 Provincial Councils were established as a sub-national government under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to ensure devolution of power and people’s participation. However, of the powers granted to Provincial Councils, some have been fully and many partially taken back by the Central Government. For example, the Central Government fully took over the Cooperative Services. In education, health, agriculture, irrigation, and so on, significant portions have been taken from Provincial Councils. In many countries, Provincial governments run not only schools but also universities; here, under the guise of National Schools, half of the schools under Provincial Councils have been taken by the Centre. This is not fair. The subjects taken from Provincial Councils must be returned to them, and more powers must be devolved.

¶ 03 Moreover, the Provincial Council elections have not been held for a long time. This rejects the principles of democracy. Therefore, I request that, unlike previous governments, this Government should not repeat that mistake and must conduct the Provincial Council elections without delay.

¶ 04 In the current context, Provincial Councils lack the powers and must even seek funds from the Central Government to pay their employees’ salaries. In our neighbouring India, States like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are so economically developed that they contribute funds to the Central Government. The reason is that they have been given additional powers. Likewise, if our Provincial Councils are given more powers, a situation will arise where they can even provide funds to the Centre. In many countries, there is no Ministry of Education or Health at the central level; all of those are devolved to the Provinces or State governments.

¶ 05 For the Eastern Province, where my Trincomalee District lies, the 2025 Budget allocates Rs. 47,603 million for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 8,667 million for capital expenditure. Though capital is Rs. 3,813 million more than last year and is commendable, compared to the Eastern Province’s needs it is like feeding ‘corn puffs to a hungry elephant’. Therefore, capital funds must be increased. If not via the Appropriation, other avenues must be found to enhance capital resources to the Province.

¶ 06 There is a staff shortage of 646 under the Eastern Provincial Council. This makes administration very difficult. Please take steps to fill these vacancies.

¶ 07 In 45 Local Authorities in the Eastern Province, many waste-collection vehicles are unserviceable. Without replacements, they cannot perform sanitation. At least provide tractors with tipper boxes for waste removal. Many Local Authorities also lack fire engines; please provide them in the public interest.

¶ 08 During disasters, Local Authorities lack heavy machinery like JCBs for clearing and rehabilitation of roads. Please provide such machinery.

¶ 09 In these 45 Local Authorities, there are acute shortages of technical officers, public health officers, revenue officers, library assistants, and executive-grade officers. About 50 percent of these posts are vacant. Without proper recruitment, they cannot perform smoothly. Please appoint the needed staff without delay.

¶ 10 Local Authorities must be given powers beyond garbage collection, street lighting, and road maintenance. In advanced countries, Local Authorities have broader authority. For example, in Canada, in the city of Toronto with about five million people, the Mayor appoints the Police Chief — a good example of local empowerment.

¶ 11 Further, based on the recommendations of the Local Government Boundaries Delimitation Commission chaired by Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya, even if not at the upcoming election, at least by the next one, reduce the number of Local Authority members from 8,356 to 4,714, thereby saving approximately Rs. 750 million annually in government expenditure.

¶ 12 Under the Government’s new digitization policy, within Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government structures, provide a five-percent recruitment quota for persons with special needs. Also, since women constitute 52 percent of the population, provide a 50-percent quota for women in Provincial Council and Local Authority membership.

¶ 13 Finally, in Trincomalee District, not only Local Authority and Divisional Secretariat boundaries, but even district boundaries have ambiguities, causing confusion and disputes. With the Survey Department’s assistance, please clarify these boundaries without delay. I conclude my speech.