The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, I express deep condolences to the families who lost loved ones in last week’s unforeseen disaster. Around 2.2 million people have been affected; thousands have lost homes and relatives. We appreciate the efforts of the Government and of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rebuild lives and the country, including the introduction of substantial relief packages.

¶ 03 However, the problem is these reliefs have not yet reached many affected people. We visited several affected areas—Mutur, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Kamburupitiya, Kelaniya, Kegalle—at the request of our Party Leader and Kandy District MP, Hon. Rauff Hakeem. Even in the past two or three days, I visited more locations. Payments have not been delivered; roads are not cleaned; basic related facilities are lacking.

¶ 04 We do not blame the Government because the President has allocated necessary funds. The issues arise from irregularities and lapses at the village level among some officials. I listened to Hon. Minister Sunil Handunnetti, who, as Chair of the Batticaloa District Development Committee, has made significant efforts when that district was affected. I thank him. The State machinery must function properly. In Kaligamuwa, Kelioya, no officer visited the area for 14 days after the disaster. The responsible Grama Sevaka was on maternity leave. That area was fully submerged; houses had floodwater up to 25 feet. Household belongings were piled 15–20 feet high along the roads—chairs, beds, mattresses, cookers—worth hundreds of thousands of rupees, now ruined. We assisted with cleaning and whatever work we could. If Government provides adequate facilities to people and local authorities, work can proceed quickly. Funds must reach the people; needs must be met; problems must be solved. The Government must act.

¶ 05 At the Pottuvil Osmania Junior School in the Akkaraipattu Education Zone, buildings completely collapsed; teaching cannot proceed. Funds have been allocated for a temporary structure, but a permanent building is needed soon—Hon. Minister, please take action.

¶ 06 Many severely affected people cannot return home; their houses are damaged. Technical officers alone cannot manage assessments—each Divisional Secretariat and Pradeshiya Sabha has only one officer. The Government should expand the capacity to carry out damage assessments for affected houses.

¶ 07 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to acknowledge the presence today of His Excellency Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, a distinguished investor from Dubai, in the Speaker’s Gallery. His visit signals confidence in Sri Lanka and interest in investment opportunities in infrastructure, education, renewable energy, tourism and technology. On behalf of the people, I respectfully invite him to consider larger, long-term investments, which will strengthen growth, create jobs, transfer knowledge and build lasting partnerships with the UAE. We assure a transparent, investor-friendly environment and full Government support. I also thank Dr. Fazul Jiffry for his efforts in bringing him to Sri Lanka. Thank you.