The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I raise three main issues.

¶ 02 First, in the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, about 2,000 manpower staff from labourers up to laboratory assistants have been employed on contract annually. I request that these long-serving manpower employees—some over 25 years, with considerable skills—be made permanent under the current Budget proposal to regularize 9,800 employees. Also, a new Scheme of Recruitment now treats them as external candidates—this injustice would be removed if these 2,000 are regularized.

¶ 03 Second, our disabled war heroes—those who sacrificed eyes, limbs, flesh and blood—are now deprived of entitlements. While the 2025 Budget revised pensions of all public servants and armed services officers, disabled retirees of the tri-forces, Police and STF, and widows of fallen heroes, have been deprived of due rights. Disabled war heroes who retired on medical grounds previously had a legal basis for special salary and pension benefits but now are not receiving them. Furthermore, the permanent allowance payable to the parents and spouses of disabled or deceased war heroes upon reaching 55 years has been unlawfully withheld. Allowances due to families of missing war heroes have been stopped on the policy of ‘assumptions.’ Due to administrative delays at medical boards, some disabled war heroes have been denied revised pensions and disability allowances. I strongly urge the Government to restore all entitlements and pay arrears; and to enact a stable statutory framework in this House to guarantee these benefits.

¶ 04 Third, we raised earlier that for Police Clearance Certificates, approval is being required—directly or indirectly—from Civil Defence Committees, chaired by their presidents; e.g., in Hakmana and Kamburupitiya Police areas. This is true. The journalists who reported this policy are now being summoned to the CID. While in Opposition you praised media for safeguarding democracy; now, those who reported the truth are being summoned. I state clearly: the current Government has effectively made Civil Defence Committee approval mandatory for police character certificates. This is wrong and unprecedented. The Government has a responsibility to protect democracy and media freedom. You promised to repeal the Online Safety Act; with a two-thirds majority, why the delay? Do you value the media only when out of power? I urge you to protect a free media essential to democracy and stop summoning journalists to the CID for accurate reporting.