The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you. Before I address today’s Ministries—Transport and Highways; Ports and Civil Aviation; Urban Development, Construction and Housing—I raise an issue under the President’s Ministry. Today is the President’s birthday; I wish him well. But I must ask the Deputy Minister present: will you intervene to resolve the grievances of our disabled war heroes and police officers? About 14,000 disabled personnel remain; their numbers are not increasing—war is over—but their issues persist. Please listen to them and find practical solutions rather than dispersing them with police.

¶ 02 On highways: once mocked—“will you eat asphalt or carpets?”—from 2005 to 2014, within 9 years and 50 days (3,335 days), we built on average 12.8 km of roads per day: 250 km of expressways, 7,500 km of A and B roads, and 35,000 km of rural roads within the broader post-independence period. On housing, within two years we completed 20,000 rural houses with Rs. 600,000 grants per house. In Colombo, we transformed 68,000 “chathu” (tenements) towards high-rise living: from 2011 to 2014, 4,900 families were rehoused in apartments; by 2020 it was 18,000. In total, work began on 24,000 units; about 3,000 remain ready for occupation—why are they not being allocated?

¶ 03 On expressways: those who said dogs and cats cannot cross now continue our projects—13 km from Potuhera to Rambukkana on the Kandy expressway, and planning 37 km from Kadawatha to Mirigama. Complete them quickly, including extending to Galagedara.

¶ 04 Airports and ports: Mattala was later turned into a paddy store; it was shut, flights diverted—no revenue. On Hambantota Port, you facilitated its sale back then; now talk about development, not just the past. Under the so‑called “76-year curse,” we built ports, airports, highways, high-rises, and rural houses—and completed 20,000 houses in two years.

¶ 05 Now, the “77th year curse.” In February, the President presented a practical Budget promising redevelopment of Thambuttegama Railway Station—Rs. 250 million for new buildings. How many stations have been newly built or upgraded? Rs. 750 million was allocated for solid waste management in the Anuradhapura Sacred City—nothing done. The Eppawala water scheme has not started.

¶ 06 At BIA, Rs. 1,000 million was allocated for baggage scanners—still not installed. For Northern Province roads, Rs. 500 million—progress less than 25%. For other provinces’ roads, Rs. 400 million—progress around 20%. Now in the last month you say 70% is done; but as of October it was still 20%. Don’t backload delivery.

¶ 07 BIA expansion was halted—first over roof design, then COVID, then more reasons; still stalled. Meanwhile, Malé expanded to serve 10 million passengers annually. At Colombo Port, 323 containers were illicitly released—those responsible are unknown; two narcotic containers also cleared despite intelligence alerts. Yet an officer who seized illicit cigarettes was transferred swiftly. Rs. 500 million was allocated to reduce port congestion; recently we hear congestion may return—does that mean more illicit releases?

¶ 08 We say this in good faith. No matter how many marks you put on Budget books or how long the President’s speech, promises are not rooting on the ground. At least deliver 50% of what you propose.

¶ 09 Thank you.