The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks in this House to the Hon. Ministers, Members of Parliament, and the Chairpersons of Local Authorities who have been working to rebuild the country and restore normalcy after last month’s disaster.

¶ 03 In particular, in Kandy District, our Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Al-Haj Rauff Hakeem, together with Members of Parliament, and with the machinery and officials of the Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Eastern Province, undertook clean-up operations. I wish to recognize and commend them. I also wish to acknowledge Hon. Members M.S. Uthumalebbe, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Nizam Kariapper; former MPs Nazeem, M.S. Thowfeek; the Chairman of the Kattankudy Urban Council Aswar; the Akkaraipattu Mayor A.L.M. Ataullah; and Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmen Uwais, Musmi, Razeek, Musharaf; the Municipal Council Chairman A.L. Thavam; and all the youths and others who joined in the relief efforts. I convey my sincere thanks to all of them in this House.

¶ 04 Subsequent to this situation, on the night of the 16th, in the Akkaraipattu Educational Zone of the Eastern Provincial Council, a building at Pottuvil Usmaniya Vidyalaya collapsed, and the school is currently closed. Of the ten classrooms serving 237 students, seven have collapsed. The building is over 70 years old. The Secretary to the Eastern Provincial Ministry of Education has allocated one million rupees to set up temporary sheds so that classes can continue in the interim. We hope to establish these temporary sheds and resume education. I thank the Secretary, the Provincial Director A.M. Rahmathullah, the DEO Hamza, the Peace Education Officer Abdul Majeed, the Principal Sahabdeen who is striving to complete this work, SDS Secretary Kaleefa, the area dignitaries Basheer Khan, Navshan, Rilwan, Pradeshiya Sabha Member Sarhu Muhaideen, and the youths of the area for their urgent assistance.

¶ 05 Similarly, the old buildings of Pottuvil Al-Aqsa Vidyalaya and Minaul Uloom Vidyalaya are also in a state of structural failure. On the basis of “prevention is better than cure,” I request the Government to assess these buildings, demolish them fully if necessary, and construct new buildings.

¶ 06 Hon. Presiding Member, due to this disaster, not only coastal fishermen nationwide, but also farmers and livestock breeders have been severely affected. I request the Government to arrange assistance or subsidies for them.

¶ 07 Further, due to a mini-cyclone that struck Pottuvil last year, 15 fishermen lost their boats and fishing gear either fully or partially, but to date the Government has not provided any compensation. Although it was promised that Rs. 400,000 would be given, it has not yet been provided. The Government should act urgently to disburse this. On behalf of the fishermen, Mr. J.R. Najeem has been actively following this matter. Likewise, for the livestock breeders, the association President A. Kadhar has been working with concern; assistance should be granted to them on a subsidy basis. I wish to place these on record.