The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha

¶ 01 For three, four, five years, remove the line rooms. Allocate funds so those people can at least lead a decent life. Merely rebranding the program as “Malaya Gam” will not uplift their lives or living conditions.

¶ 02 Hon. Prime Minister, people who have lived for 200 years in the upcountry have lived those 200 years in line rooms. If we are to uplift their lives, we must eliminate line rooms from this country. If people can live outside line rooms, that would be the greatest dignity we can offer them. The people of our plantation sector have contributed immense strength to our economy.

¶ 03 We also see policies now being implemented that contradict what you stated earlier. We saw large allocations being made for SriLankan Airlines. Even if funds are allocated, you cannot keep SriLankan Airlines afloat that way. Decide whether to hand SriLankan Airlines to the private sector or continue it under the Government. You have stated it will be run by the Government. If so, the required funds must be provided. But we do not see the necessary budgetary provisions to sustain it. Please pay close attention to this.

¶ 04 On this Budget, two groups in particular have contacted me the most. One is the under-employed graduates. Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa, there are not even 1,000 of them. Hon. Prime Minister, I ask for your attention as well. These under-employed graduates are stuck in lower grades; place them in roles commensurate with their degrees. I saw you propose an examination method and some committee—true or not, I do not know. Do not do that. There are fewer than 1,000 there. Place them appropriately; many are close to 50 years old now. Do justice to them.

¶ 05 You also raised a strong voice for the unemployed graduates. They contributed greatly to your election campaign. Perhaps not even 1% of unemployed graduates voted for us. They trusted you and worked with you. Hon. Sunil Handunnetti held meetings across the country. But this Budget does not show justice for them. There are about 35,000 unemployed graduates. From your budget—whoever authored it—out of the purported 30,000 job opportunities covering graduates, A/L, and other categories, you cannot even allocate 10,000–15,000 for these graduates; and even the funding provided is inadequate. Therefore, at the Committee Stage or via amendments, act immediately to honor the promises made to unemployed graduates. You said you would recruit 20,000 to the teaching service and others to IT and other sectors, and pay an allowance until then. So please pay strong attention to unemployed graduates as well.

¶ 06 You also engaged with doctors and the nursing service—we know you even had a large nursing rally which fueled agitation. Our Lal Kantha went and delivered a speech, got excited seeing a beautiful nurse. Please look into the salaries of nurses and doctors. The previous speaker raised it too. The GMOA gave me details titled “Salary revision of medical officers through Budget 2025.” They do not see justice done. You have reduced the 1/80 non-practising allowance accrual to 1/120 for medical service, MLTs and allied services, while hospital administrative accountants have not been reduced. Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa, we know the health sector staff under you provide a 24-hour service. According to their calculations, their take-home pay is reduced; their receipts are reduced. Through the new method—changing 1/80 to 1/120—by June 2027 a newly entering doctor would suffer around a Rs. 52,000 loss compared to now—meaning a reduction in take-home. The same applies to consultants.

¶ 07 It seems you have patched together fragments from the Udaya Seneviratne Committee report appointed under Ranil Wickremesinghe to make these increases or cuts. By April, people will realize whether salaries have increased or decreased. Yesterday in Galgamuwa, a minor employee told me his pay rose by Rs. 900, but he said, “Sir, when I retire, at least my pension will be okay now.” So you have done justice to pensions. But pensions must be paid in future; if you stay in government 20–25 years, you will also have to contribute to paying them.

¶ 08 If you can govern well, it is fine. But do not boast that you will be here for 20–30 years. Govern and deliver. If this Government performs well, we do not mind it remaining; it is our country. But do not make empty boasts, Hon. Mano Ganesan. Say less, do more.

¶ 09 Specifically on consultants’ transport allowance, I previously asked Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa a question. I do not see attention paid to it in this Budget. There are shortages of consultants. At peripheral hospitals they serve multiple institutions—e.g., the Anuradhapura consultant also covers the Medawachchiya base hospital—but they are not paid a transport allowance. Officers in parallel grades receive vehicles and transport benefits, but specialist doctors do not. If their disparities are not addressed, the number of consultants will further drop. Discard the Udaya Seneviratne report—this is your Government now, Hon. Bimal Rathnayake’s Government. Instead of inserting bits into the Budget, appoint a new committee and implement a fair, balancing salary increase across all grades.

¶ 10 I also spoke on prisons and the underworld recently. We need security. Even when large books are brought in, check inside—what if a section is cut out and hidden? Prison officers are the group most relied on by the underworld. Historically prison and police pay scales were parallel; now they are not. Relative to police, prison officers are paid less. That must be corrected. I am not saying police salaries are adequate—balance them. Do not reduce police salaries; at minimum bring prison salaries to police levels, and then also increase police further, Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, because about 70% of the required police strength is missing, so each officer carries a heavy workload.

¶ 11 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: You have two more minutes.

¶ 12 I will conclude quickly, Hon. Deputy Chairperson.

¶ 13 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake: Even if you gave 2,000,—

¶ 14 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha: Still not enough, Hon. Minister. It’s good to give it.

¶ 15 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake: Another 180 are coming,—

¶ 16 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha: Fine, give more—give more to police. Many OICs are very anxious. You transferred about 180 across the country. We suspect crime increased due to those transfers. Therefore please focus on raising salaries of both police and prison officers.

¶ 17 Today the underworld is emboldened. I am not saying you are responsible for it, but the situation has become difficult to suppress. You yourselves said the law must be enforced on those in custody. If you show weapons and are killed, do we need such a country? Your former leader—Wijeweera—was the first to be killed after displaying arms. Do not sink to that level. To guide this country correctly, you must focus seriously across all sectors.

¶ 18 One group completely overlooked now is the 6–6.5 million working in the private sector. I remember during the Aragalaya, Mujibur Rahuman and I went early; had our leaders gone then, perhaps today we could also be in Government—right, Hon. Mujibur?

¶ 19 Hon. Mujibur Rahuman: Yes, yes.

¶ 20 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha: When we first went, those who came were private sector workers around Colombo—factory workers, Fort area employees—who came to protect the protest. Have their salaries increased? I think not. They contribute immensely to the economy. Please also do justice to the private sector.

¶ 21 This Budget also seems not to allocate for the Bingiriya Export Processing Zone; nor for the North Western Canal Project. Please pay attention to these as well. I will conclude. Thank you.

¶ 22 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, you have 19 minutes.