Hon. Chamara Sampath Dassanayake

¶ 01 People are facing many problems. Today someone told me about an incident like that. In the Ampara area, people engaged in rock quarrying are not being issued permits. It has been stuck. There are many such issues. There are serious problems within the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) as well. When you go there to get work done, things get delayed. The GSMB is an institution that can earn money for the country. After 1994, the GSMB established branch offices in various places. In the Badulla District, the GSMB office was opened in 1997 or 1998 during Minister Fowzie’s time. Power was decentralized to the provincial level and offices have now been set up. Now there is a Central Environmental Authority office and also a GSMB office. Earlier, people had to come to Dehiwala to obtain the permits issued by the GSMB. Now, those permits can be obtained from Badulla. In the past, there was no office in Ampara or Monaragala. It has been decentralized. But just because it is decentralized, can people engaged in those industries get relief quickly? I am not sure. The Minister will have to look into that deeply.

¶ 02 Nothing in this country can be done without an environmental clearance. If the environmental permit is not granted, we cannot do anything. That applies to industries as well. Whatever you try to do, an environmental permit is necessary. Therefore, please expedite the issuance of environmental permits. What documents are being requested? Often, unnecessary documents. When submitting nominations for local government elections, the Election Office asks for every required document, but not unnecessary ones.

¶ 03 When submitting nominations, now you have to give separate youth lists and women’s lists and submit a huge bundle of documents to the Kachcheri. We must reduce this paperwork and the time taken. Create a system to get work done faster. There is no use forever blaming the past 76 years or blaming Ranil Wickremesinghe. It has been 150 days for this government, now 180 days; by next month it will be 210 days. At this rate, a year will soon complete, and in the end even the drum they beat will be gone. Therefore, if the government works energetically and shows results, public support will grow. In 2015 we had a similar situation. They spoke of 100 days—people thought “in 100 days they’ll do a hundred big things.” But nothing was shown in 100 days; hence in the 2018 local government elections, because no work was shown, all those institutions swung to the newly formed Pohottuwa.

¶ 04 Now some may think they will win 100 percent of local authorities. How? Accept that when your President took office, within 32 days the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election was held. If Anura Kumara became President and within 32 days an election was held, then what happened? The government side got 15 seats and the Opposition got 15 seats. With such splits, how do you form the council? At local polls, around 10 lists can appear—various parties and independents. Then, even if the government goes one way, if the other parties and groups combine, control of the local authority can go to the Opposition. After a year, the chairmanship can shift because the law allows appointing a new chair through the council after a year or two. Then the election becomes a joke. I have served in a local authority as a member, Opposition Leader, and Chairman, so I know how these work. We thought with 159 seats, the government would amend the Local Authorities Act to fix this—bringing a system similar to the earlier one. But the government could not do it. They could not bring a new law to make local bodies function effectively. What is the point of 159 seats if you cannot deliver? Now they say local government elections will be held, and ask people to give the government the mandate to work well. A President was elected to work, a government was appointed to work, and you got 159 seats to work—so now show the results. Now they ask for control of local authorities too. In the past, every government asked for power at each level—Presidential, then Parliamentary, then Provincial Councils, then Pradeshiya Sabhas—then after five years another Presidential election changes things. That’s how our politics has gone.

¶ 05 Look at what has happened to our religious affairs because of budget allocations. Take the Buddha Sasana—how many temples are there today? Some temples are dilapidated; some lack sanitation facilities; some are well-developed. Today as I came, the road near Kumbalwela Aranya Senasanaya was blocked with large crowds going by bus to visit it—so many people go there.

¶ 06 However, temples in remote, difficult areas like Mahiyanganaya and Rideemaliyadda get no justice from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, regardless of who is in government. Sometimes from various budgetary provisions we give Rs. 200,000, 300,000, 500,000, or a million. Then circulars say, don’t give more than this to temples, kovils, or churches. What can you do with Rs. 200,000 now? Earlier you could do something with that. In Badulla District, many kovils have been demolished; more than a hundred in Vathuwala area alone, to my knowledge, and now they cannot be rebuilt. Why? They demolish without thinking. Rebuilding costs tens of millions. Ceremonies like Kumbhabhishekam cost even more—45 days of rituals, huge expenses. Some churches too—some are affluent and get plenty of support, but poor churches don’t. There are temples, churches, and devales that receive no help at all, while others receive help from everyone. The Ministry must look into these disparities.

¶ 07 I heard the Cardinal has issued a voice cut saying they placed trust in the government but will also take to the streets. Now the Cardinal is ready to go out because when the government began to look into Batalanda and when the Opposition Leader tabled the Batalanda Commission Report, it was expunged on the order of the Chair. The Cardinal now says the time has come for them to take to the streets because no justice has been done regarding the Easter attacks. He said this just the other day.

¶ 08 After the President delivered the Second Reading of the Budget, on the second day I said health workers would inevitably take to the streets over the salary issue. Some here laughed and said it wouldn’t happen. The Health Minister said it wouldn’t happen. But today nurses are on strike; medical services and paramedical services will go on a 24-hour strike tomorrow. They have joined together. I raised this in Parliament then. Please listen to what we are saying.

¶ 09 Many in health sector voted trusting this government—about 85 percent of public servants, judging by results. In Badulla postal votes, the government got 25,000; the ‘telephone’ got 3,000; the gas cylinder got 2,000. That shows the gap and the trust public servants placed in this government—unseen even during J.R. Jayewardene’s five-sixth majority. But that trust is eroding because the government cannot implement what it promised. Tomorrow or the next day the Budget will be passed, and some are waiting until April 10th payday to see what happens to their salaries and the public service mechanism.

¶ 10 Understand that as a government. We are not speaking out of hatred for the government; we are speaking the truth here. We say the right things, wherever we sit.

¶ 11 Today there are many problems in the public service. Minister Sunil Handunnetti himself said jobs would be given to 35,000 graduates under this government. Those graduates are now on the streets demanding jobs. What you promised has not materialized. Under the 100,000 jobs programme, some recruits are still not made permanent. They ask us to raise this here. The graduates say they were promised jobs, but now not given. The Environment Ministry should organize a system to provide jobs to graduates—identify vacancies and recruit—especially in revenue-generating areas like the GSMB and within the Environment Ministry, which can earn significant revenue. But when people go there, they face harassment; people get fed up. Does the Environment Minister sit at the GSMB or the Ministry issuing permits? No. But in some places, people are harassed. Therefore, if you hold the Environment portfolio, do it responsibly and diligently. The Environment Ministry is crucial—every industry and project needs an environmental permit. Whether a small or large industry, nothing can proceed without it. The Environment Ministry is the heart for industries, like the environmental permit is the heart. Even to build a tourist hotel in Ella, you need an environmental permit, typically valid for three years. I ask the Hon. Minister to strengthen the Ministry and make it a model institution by working harder. I believe he is capable and works cooperatively with officials. Work with them and also proactively find solutions. I wish you the strength and courage to manage this Ministry effectively. With that, I conclude.