The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, in this Committee Stage Debate relating to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, I wish to speak on the Provincial Council system.

¶ 02 This system was introduced in 1987 via the 13th Amendment. Nearly 38 years have passed. What has happened? Land powers and police powers granted to Provincial Councils have been taken away. The North and East, which were to be temporarily merged with a referendum after a year to decide permanent merger, were not so continued; they were separated. The “Divineguma” law too was removed from Provincial purview by the Centre. So, Provincial Councils now lack land and police powers, Divineguma authority is gone, and the North–East linkage is absent.

¶ 03 Moreover, powers over education, health, and roads are split between Centre and Provinces, creating duplication. Funding to Provincial Councils is very low, leading to neglect of Provincial schools and hospitals; even RDA roads in Provinces are in disrepair. The PC system introduced by J.R. Jayewardene has been crippled into a “lame” structure — an unworkable administrative system. The PC elections due in 2018 have not been held even after seven years.

¶ 04 Thus, as a solution to the ethnic question and devolution, the PC system has been throttled: its powers stripped, leaving a squeezed-dry husk. If the new Government that seeks change and solutions truly wishes to resolve issues, it must restore powers snatched from Provincial Councils and pursue genuine devolution to address the national question. Only then can peace and comprehensive sectoral development be achieved.

¶ 05 For about 77 years since Independence, we have tried a unitary centralized model and it has failed — it has not brought ethnic harmony, development, or a good international image.