The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Thank you very much. Hon. Presiding Member, my question is as follows.

¶ 02 Under the theme “Prosperous Country - Beautiful Life,” the National People’s Power Government’s election manifesto, under “Stable Economy” at page 78, pledged 35,000 job opportunities for graduates. However, a year has passed since the Government assumed power. This pledge has not been fulfilled to date, and graduates have begun to express their displeasure. Accordingly, I seek answers from the Hon. Minister to the following:

¶ 03 1. Of the promised 35,000 graduate appointments, how many have been given to date? If not given, why?

¶ 04 2. What is the number of vacancies under various Provincial Ministries within the nine Provincial Councils?

¶ 05 3. When will Provincial Council elections be held so that recruitments can be made according to the needs of those Councils and the required powers be restored to them?

¶ 06 Hon. Presiding Member, within these matters are several questions. There is a direct question regarding providing employment to graduates. You promised jobs for 35,000 graduates: 15,000 under STEM and another 20,000 as teacher appointments, according to your manifesto. Development Officers have been protesting since the 8th in front of the Fort in Colombo regarding teacher appointments. Because a court case was pending, you said teacher appointments could not be given until its conclusion, and the entire last year passed that way. Hon. Minister Abayarathna, this is not your subject; it relates to the Education Ministry. Your manifesto said 20,000 teachers would be recruited. Then will Development Officers with five years’ service not be recruited?

¶ 07 Likewise, during election time, to secure votes, you made many promises. You promised Dengue Prevention Assistants that, if you came to power, their posts would be made permanent. You promised even those without O/L qualifications employed under 11/ scheme that their jobs would be made permanent. You promised jobs for Sri Lanka Railways’ unsafe gate watchers. You promised jobs for Field Mosquito Control Assistants. You promised jobs for Bachelor of Education degree holders. I can read this list out—it is a large group to whom promises were made before the election. However, to date, all these groups are very dissatisfied.

¶ 08 Hon. Minister, my second question is on Provincial Councils. As Provincial Councils are not functioning now, their duties have become an Executive function through the President and Governors. Then, when are the Provincial Council elections? Though various statements are made, give us a definite position. The NPP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said in Jaffna that elections will be held only after the delimitation process is completed. But in this Parliament we have not been told so. Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Geneva stated the same—that Provincial Council elections would be after delimitation. We ask whether this is a process to postpone the Provincial Council elections.

¶ 09 Most importantly, in the North and East, our Tamil people’s unemployment issue is severe. For years, Development Officers have served as teachers, but the Government has not given them teacher appointments for the last one year, citing a court case. That case is now concluded, yet teacher appointments have still not been given. Since the 8th, they have been continuously protesting in Colombo. Further, this Government, which said 35,000 unemployed graduates would be given jobs, has not done so yet. Dengue Prevention Assistants have not been made permanent. Though these may not be strictly within your Ministry’s purview, I raise them to remind that the NPP, upon coming to power, said it would do these. We have not seen these being done to date.

¶ 10 Moreover, there are many sectors where appointments can be made through Provincial Councils. Our local authorities cannot receive necessary appointments. Likewise, in our Eastern Province, Bachelor of Education degree holders cannot be appointed. The reason all this cannot be done is that Provincial Councils are not functioning today, and the Provinces are being administered by Governors appointed by the Executive President.

¶ 11 Hon. Minister, even if we had some hope that this Government would conduct Provincial Council elections expeditiously, based on what we learned yesterday, it appears they will not be held soon. Even if the President, Prime Minister, and Ministers say no decision has been made yet on how to conduct the Provincial Council elections, look at what the Secretary-General of the JVP—which has no representation in Parliament, and which is represented here by the NPP—has said: “We will conduct Provincial Council elections only after delimitation.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs has also emphasized this in Geneva. What is the true position? You must inform the people and us.

¶ 12 Hon. Minister, will you grant appointments to unemployed graduates? Will you grant permanency to the staff I have mentioned? Will you recruit the required cadre for Provincial Councils by holding Provincial Council elections? Please inform us. Thank you.