The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, my time was reduced from ten to six minutes, so I will be brief.

¶ 02 In Batticaloa District, Eravur Pattu DS is the largest, spanning about 630 sq km with 39 GN divisions and about 50 km road length end-to-end. People live far from GN offices. Eravur Pattu DS should be split into two; similarly, Kanthiran Kudah GN Division should be divided given its large extent.

¶ 03 On competitive exams for services like SLAS, SLEAS, SLAccS, SLOAS and SLPS: during Covid, exams could not be held, causing candidates to surpass age limits. Please extend age limits accordingly to allow them to sit.

¶ 04 Provincial Councils are not functioning; unelected Governors exercise all powers. This is anti-democratic. You have held Parliamentary and Local Government elections—thank you—but PC elections have been delayed for years, undermining democracy. Please hold them promptly.

¶ 05 On local authorities’ salaries: current policy requires councils to bear 20% this year, then 40%, 60%, etc. Many councils cannot pay and thus cannot allocate for development. Please avoid pushing salary burdens onto low-revenue councils. War-affected, hardship-prone councils also lack funds and machinery; the central government has a moral duty to support them.

¶ 06 Public Assistance monthly grants to elderly and the vulnerable—often just Rs. 250–500—were set long ago. Please increase these to reflect present realities.

¶ 07 Retired teachers and principals have campaigned for 28 years against pension disparities. Through the 2026 Budget, please reduce these anomalies originating from 1997 P.C. Perera-related adjustments.

¶ 08 Thank you.