The Hon. Kins Nelson

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, tourists who come to Polonnaruwa either visit the Minneriya National Park or go to see ruins and then head to Dambulla and Habarana. There is nothing much for them to do if they stay in the Polonnaruwa District. Therefore, I wish to propose that we open an access road through the Angammedilla National Park to Wasgamuwa, with the condition that visitors who enter from Angammedilla must exit again through Angammedilla, not from Wasgamuwa. That way, they will spend the whole day inside the park, and tourists will be retained within the Polonnaruwa District. I therefore propose that a road be built from Angammedilla National Park to Wasgamuwa.

¶ 02 Hon. Chairman, I must also speak about the Maduru Oya National Park. In recent times, someone has taken the responsibility for cattle and released them inside the park. Now, those cattle are within the park. We hear that if a dairy farmer’s cow enters a wildlife zone, they are fined at least Rs. 50,000 or Rs. 60,000. But how is it that there are dairy cattle inside a national park? This deprives the park’s wild animals of grazing areas. We have repeatedly asked in Parliament whose cattle these are and where they came from, but to date no one has been able to remove them. If cattle are to be kept, they should have separate designated grazing areas. I am speaking about a national park. Human-elephant conflict has increased because habitats are being encroached upon and blocked. I request special attention to this.

¶ 03 Likewise, I request that the shortcomings in our national parks be addressed. I have only briefly mentioned some of these issues; there are many more. If special attention is given and these national parks are rehabilitated, they can generate substantial income.

¶ 04 We also heard the Hon. President say that Rs. 2,500 million has been allocated to strengthen the local dairy farmer. That is good, but where will they keep their cattle? Without allowing those animals to enter national parks, and in consultation with the Department of Wildlife Conservation, they should be allocated places to build the required enclosures in an environmentally friendly manner.

¶ 05 At present no one is allowed to enter wildlife zones. Across Sri Lanka, people living in the thousands of villages adjoining these zones cannot even cast a simple fishing line to catch a fish. There must be a proper procedure. Issue special identity cards and allow limited, traditional fishing using lines—not large-scale operations. Currently, anyone caught with a simple line is fined Rs. 25,000. That should not be the case. In consultation with wildlife officers, issue special IDs permitting limited access to meet subsistence needs and return.

¶ 06 Hon. Chairman, there are small and medium-scale gem traders throughout the country, including Alahera, Bakamuna, Kalagala, and in Laggala represented by Hon. Rohini Kaviratne. Small-scale traditional miners do not use backhoes; they work fairly, even climbing trees to look for signs and digging with minimal methods. I propose that we identify them and, in consultation with them, allow their livelihoods to continue without environmental harm to riverbanks and rivers.

¶ 07 There are guides in our national parks. When tourists visit, they accompany them along designated roads. Some tourists want to observe specific animals, and these guides, with 12-15 years of experience, understand the terrain and visitor needs well. Yet they have not been made permanent. Their allowance was Rs. 600; upon a request by our Hon. Leader of the Opposition, and following discussions led by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera and in committee, this was increased to Rs. 1,000. However, their service is still not permanent. There used to be more than 450 guides; now fewer than 200 remain. They have good knowledge and understand what visitors require. Therefore, I propose their services be made permanent.

¶ 08 Under the One Hundred Thousand Jobs Programme of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 4,731 multipurpose development officers were attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. They mainly monitor electric fences. They are paid an allowance of Rs. 22,500 per month, yet they must serve around the clock, often at great personal risk. I request that their service be made permanent.

¶ 09 Hon. Chairman, I will conclude with this matter. At the institution coded 05115, there is an engineer, H.A.C.K.W. Bandara, who served in Polonnaruwa. Numerous allegations have been made against him. Despite this, he has again been appointed to the same position in the Ampara area. A complaint against him was lodged at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on 2020.07.10. As time is limited, I will table all the related documents.

¶ 10 This individual, after serving for a long period in Polonnaruwa, was transferred to Ampara and then reappointed to the same post. When that appointment was made, officers of the institution and people of the area met the Chairman, who reportedly said, “Now the power is with us. We will do as we wish; whether a person is corrupt or not is irrelevant to us. This person will be appointed as the engineer.” I have several letters related to this, which I now table.

¶ 11 Thank you for the opportunity, Hon. Chairman.