The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath

¶ 01 The reconstruction work of the bridge is to commence. I express my thanks to the Hon. Minister for that.

¶ 02 There are many transport-related issues in Batticaloa District, particularly concerning railways and buses. There is only a limited level of services and even the timetables have been changed. At the last District Development Committee meeting, the Hon. Minister assured that these would be revised. On that basis, I request that the schedules be amended accordingly.

¶ 03 Moreover, second and third class compartments are extremely crowded. Seating is available only for about 45 passengers in a compartment. Therefore, I request that additional compartments be provided. At present, to obtain seats in the A/C compartments one must book a month in advance; only then can one secure seating. Considering the high demand, please provide a proper solution and increase capacity.

¶ 04 We requested at the District Development Committee that a railway substation be established near the Eastern University. Thousands of students study there and, by establishing a substation, railway services can be better extended to that area. We also request that facility.

¶ 05 The railway substation at Vakarai has been closed. We raised this too at the District Development Committee. In that densely populated area, transport facilities are limited; in some places, people do not even see buses. In certain locations, no buses go at all, making it very difficult for children to attend school. The Valachchenai bus stand is in a very poor condition. I request that it be renovated, staffing shortages be addressed, and adequate buses be provided.

¶ 06 As our colleague stated, you have initiated efforts regarding the Kiran Bridge. That will be highly beneficial to the people in that area.

¶ 07 In Paduvankarai, the village tank divides the region. Many infrastructure facilities, including rural roads, must be developed. Funds under development allocations should be provided at least in the next Budget for the bridge connecting Narippulthottam and Pankudaveli, and work should commence.

¶ 08 In several places, there are no transport services. In particular, there is no boat service from Kinniyadi to the Pirmaduwa Island. This must be rectified. During flood periods, transport there takes place by lashing two small canoes together, which is unsafe. Therefore, establishing a proper and safe boat service is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport. I request that this be done.

¶ 09 In Batticaloa District, major programmes must also be undertaken in urban development and irrigation. To beautify Batticaloa town, the lagoon must be dredged and an appropriate project implemented. There is no comprehensive mechanism for sewage treatment in Batticaloa town. Wastewater discharged from densely populated areas flows into the lagoon, polluting it. The Ministry has a responsibility to commence a project to address this issue.

¶ 10 Next, there is a severe problem with water supply in Batticaloa District. The existing drinking water scheme cannot provide full coverage. Areas with reservoirs such as Vavunativu and Sengaladi in the Paduvankarai region need full access to drinking water. These are rocky areas, and during droughts people rely entirely on water supplied through the Pradeshiya Sabhas. The local authorities cannot fully meet this demand, and thus they are unable to continue these programmes. Therefore, there is a major responsibility to implement an effective water supply project for the Paduvankarai area of Batticaloa. Further, as Batticaloa town is becoming a densely populated area, I request that it be properly managed through an urban development plan.

¶ 11 I must also draw attention to an incident that occurred today: the issue arising from the removal of signboards of the Department of Archaeology in Batticaloa District. I request that this matter be handled amicably and a solution provided. It should not become a major problem in the future. Extremists should not be allowed to exploit this to create a crisis. We should all discuss and plan a solution to resolve this issue smoothly. Responsible ministries must extend full cooperation. We, on our part, will instruct the local authorities to maintain a non-confrontational environment.

¶ 12 I must thank the Minister of Transport because he has commenced work related to the Kiran Bridge, which will benefit our district’s people. By continuing and completing this work, major flood impacts can be averted, and by December or January farmers in Paduvankarai will be able to transport paddy and other produce across it.

¶ 13 Hon. Presiding Member, my time is over. I will wind up in 30 seconds.

¶ 14 I request the Hon. Minister to consider my key points: reopening the railway substation at Vakarai; establishing a new substation near the Eastern University; and strengthening the Railway Department to introduce additional services. With that, I conclude. Thank you.