The Hon. Namal Karunaratne

¶ 01 Hon. Member, you raised many questions within one. Some of the answers were contained in your own presentation. One point is that we allocated funds for fertilizer in two tranches — that is, before cultivation commenced. Because we deposited money prior to the start of cultivation, it went in two rounds. There is still a group of farmers who have not received the second tranche of fertilizer funds. There are several reasons. One is what you yourself noted — there is a shortage of about 4,000 officers due to vacancies. Your governments did not recruit those officers. As a government, we have decided to fill those vacancies going forward.

¶ 02 Especially with the “8941” cyclone, a large workload fell on our officers and departments. During your governments, compensation was paid to farmers for only about six crop types. Under our government, compensation was paid for all crops including paddy, cucumber, ridge gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, and bitter gourd. The amount paid also increased. Compensation was also paid for cattle, pigs, goats, and poultry. In that context, a large workload fell on our officers, causing bottlenecks and delays, creating certain issues. We are now rectifying that situation.

¶ 03 You also pointed out the spread of invasive plants in chenas and siltation in tank beds. We have commenced rehabilitation of tanks. With the “8960” cyclone, we are repairing all breached tanks, anicuts, and canals. Funds have been allocated and work has begun.

¶ 04 There are also inter-departmental issues here. We have identified those and are carrying out the necessary tasks properly.