The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, though I am in the Opposition, I wish to support this proposal from Hon. T.K. Jayasundara of the Government benches as it is directly relevant to our province.

¶ 02 Leading global guides and magazines have recently ranked Sri Lanka among the top travel destinations. The areas cited—Niyagama, Pitigala, Nagoda, Udugama, Neluwa, and Thawalama—are highly suitable for developing into attractive destinations, with friendly communities and warm hospitality, and distinctive rural charm.

¶ 03 Neluwa in Galle District covers 15,348 hectares with varied topography and biodiversity. It borders Sinharaja’s buffer. Numerous attractions surround Neluwa—Dooli Ella, Brahmana Ella, Malmora Ella, and Heriyawa Dola; and villages like Lankagama, Kosmulla, and Warukandeniya. I recently visited Lankagama and saw large numbers of domestic tourists there on weekends.

¶ 04 Sinharaja is a sensitive and scenic world heritage rainforest, important for education and tourism. The Forest Department notes 192 plant species recorded, including 30 nationally threatened and 116 globally threatened, and 102 fauna species, including 50 endemic and three threatened.

¶ 05 Pitigala in Niyagama Pradeshiya Sabha area, on the upper reaches of the Bentara Ganga, spans about 11,110 hectares of lovely hill ranges, streams, tea, and spice gardens—very attractive to visitors. Sites like Kaludiya Pokuna and Adahalena Ella are notable; traditional honey-gathering is unique here; tea cultivation enriches the scenery. Numerous forest hermitages make for serene religious environments—ideal for visitors seeking mental peace.

¶ 06 Galle District, which you know well, Hon. Deputy Speaker, already draws many coastal tourists—Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, Ahangama. This proposal will let them access inland natural beauty quickly. We started the “Dedduwa Tourism Project” in Bentota with the full support of Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, acquiring land and paying compensation, with plans for water sports, golf, horse racing, and more, to draw tourists beyond beaches and hotel rooms. I urge bipartisan support to operationalize such initiatives.

¶ 07 This is a timely Motion. Introducing zones like this will help us compete with regional destinations. We fully support it; we support good proposals and point out shortcomings when needed—that is our role in the Opposition.