The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I am pleased to speak on the Supplementary Allocation for disaster relief.

¶ 02 In the first days of the disaster, both those trapped in villages and those outside could scarcely communicate. In those hardest hours, an extraordinary group intervened to protect the people: our village temples and venerable monks, and clergy of other religions. Many speakers overlooked this; we must acknowledge the monks and other religious leaders who cared for the affected.

¶ 03 Many institutions and individuals strove in this effort: public services acted with agility; the tri-forces; volunteer groups; various organizations; and religious leaders. As the Government planned and executed unprecedented measures nationwide, some Opposition MPs tried to disrupt and derail those processes.

¶ 04 From our Ministry, we first collected data on affected religious sites nationwide to counter false claims that the state was ignoring religion. Some media even tried to set up religious reconstruction funds, recalling how some profited during COVID-19 vaccine procurement. We have properly identified 1,087 affected sites: 521 Buddhist, 185 Hindu, 181 Islamic, 102 Christian, along with 32 archaeological sites and 31 cultural centers. We deployed three core teams—Ministers and officials—across key districts to verify needs scientifically.

¶ 05 While Government support is being arranged, we also initiated a dedicated fund for rebuilding these sites. Within days, we raised over Rs. 300 million. At the memorial and merits-transference held on the 8th at Hunupitiya Gangaramaya, more than Rs. 165 million was pledged. A leading donor contributed Rs. 100 million anonymously at the request of the Chief Incumbent. Previously, in national disasters like the tsunami and COVID-19, people donated in millions of dollars and rupees but were skeptical about proper use. Today, the public believes that every rupee donated is reaching the right places.

¶ 06 Regrettably, the SJB’s General Secretary started this debate with a falsehood about Matale—claiming a work stoppage by Grama Niladharis due to political interference in Yatawatta DS Division. In truth, an SJB organizer, Kosala Bandara, posted false news on social media; the PS Chairman lodged a complaint (RIP/1801566), and the organizer later held a media briefing and apologized. The SJB General Secretary likely knew this but still lied to Parliament.

¶ 07 Please conclude:

¶ 08 Grant me thirty seconds. A district MP came here and slandered Matale officials as inefficient. I state responsibly that compared to many districts, the Matale District Secretary, Divisional Secretaries, and officials worked very efficiently—92.88% disbursement of the Rs. 25,000 grant as of the other day. We condemn insults and mockery of diligent officers. As a Ministry and Government, we have acted successfully and will ensure affected people can live better than before. Thank you.