Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank the Government for allocations in the 2026 Budget for Vanni district projects: the Mannar District General Hospital Accident and ICU building; feasibility for the Puttalam–Mannar alternate route; strengthening smallholder farmers in Mannar; support for agri-food producers in Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu; agricultural development in Mullaitivu; market infrastructure; funding to continue the Vettuvaikkal bridge in Mullaitivu. On behalf of the Vanni, I express gratitude.

¶ 02 Equality means ensuring equal opportunities across this island: what is available in the South should be available in the North. During the war we did not raise our voice on inequitable resource access; our de facto administration then ensured equitable resource sharing, self-reliance, and a moral, sober society. Post-war, Vanni—especially Mullaitivu—has consistently ranked last or near-last across indicators, as Government statistics show. I have repeatedly highlighted the lag in fisheries, small industries, health, transport, education, tourism, and security—the people struggle daily for life and livelihood. Will this Government keep them there? This Budget seems likely to continue that trend.

¶ 03 Illegal fishing continues daily in Mullaitivu waters. How can Navy and Police stations claim “no personnel” when asked to curb poaching and banned methods in plain sight? Why can’t your Government stop it? Is corruption internal or external? Will you keep hammering our fishers’ stomachs next year too? We ask: curb banned fishing practices immediately.

¶ 04 During the LTTE administration, our people had air-conditioned buses. In the 15 post-war years, successive governments could not even approve an AC bus route to Mullaitivu.

¶ 05 Out of 3 National, 15 Teaching, 14 Specialized, and 21 District General Hospitals (53 apex institutions), Mannar and Mullaitivu apex hospitals remain classified as “difficult area” hospitals. How many more years will you keep our apex hospitals in that category? Even base hospitals elsewhere have trainee doctors; when will Mannar and Mullaitivu apex hospitals get that? Not even in 2026?

¶ 06 Access to potable water is inadequate in the Vanni. How many more years will every sector for us be labelled “difficult, difficult, difficult”? At least in 2026, provide unconditional allocations to remove the “difficult area hospital” label and ensure equal access.

¶ 07 In education, half-built school buildings remain for years, posing hazards. In Mulliyawalai Kalai Magal Vidyalaya, a one-storied building has been abandoned for over seven years. The Vavuniya National College of Education is extremely under-resourced compared to others. Complete these buildings swiftly and hand them over. Prioritize such needs within the Rs. 23.7 billion for school infrastructure and O&M, and the Rs. 0.8 billion for school safety against disasters.

¶ 08 On ICT transformation, the North and East lag far behind. In the North, three education zones; in the East, four zones still lack ICT distance learning centres. In STEM, Mullaitivu ranks among the worst: inadequate laboratories and supplies; unequal distribution of maths/science teachers; insufficient ICT labs; lack of mechanisms to repair or dispose obsolete computers. These will be major challenges for the education reform commencing in 2026. Ensure equal district-wise funding for the digital resource build-out.

¶ 09 On transport: road rehab, rural bridges, bus services to villages, halting places—Mullaitivu’s Thunukkai and Maritimepattu areas suffer severe inequity. Farmers struggle to market produce; workers to reach jobs; students to return home; patients to reach care. Within the Rs. 456 billion transport allocation, address their hardships proportionately. Everyone knows education develops a nation, yet here defence receives very high funding while education gets very little—I must note this imbalance.

¶ 10 I strongly oppose the “Kivul Oya” project in Vavuniya, detrimental to indigenous Tamils. Rs. 2.5 billion are allocated. If implemented—by damming Ma Oya (Per Aru) and Suriyainaru to create a large reservoir—over ten small irrigation tanks and their paddy lands in Vavuniya North, as well as ancient Tamil villages, risk submergence. The plan allots 6,000 acres in Weli Oya to 3,000 settlers from the majority community. These tanks and lands are the ancestral heritage of Tamils. Where then is your claim of “no racism”? Do not create ethnic tensions—embrace us. If you proceed, tanks and paddy fields downstream of Raman Kulam, Kottodai Kulam, Oyamadukulam, Vellankulam, Periyakattukulam, Panikkal Madukulam, Channamuththu Madukulam, Kammaanchikkulam, Kurinjakulam, Thirivaichcha Kulam, and fields under Vedivaithakal and Pulikkutti Kulam, as well as villages like Kattupooasarankulam, Kanchooramottai, and parts of Maruthodai will be submerged. This is a structured act of ethnic dispossession. I urge this august House to pay attention and immediately halt such engineered ethnic displacement.

¶ 11 Also, prioritize revival of Northern and Eastern industries: the Ottusuttan salt factory, Kankesanthurai cement, Paranthan chemicals, and Valachchenai paper. Do not neglect them.

¶ 12 Finally, in the President’s Budget Speech, we expected confidence-building remarks on a political solution for Tamils and on the disappeared and political prisoners. None were offered. Still, I ask: include us and carry us with you. Thank you.