The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, I move:

¶ 02 “That the Proclamation made by the President under Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40), as amended by Acts Nos. 8 of 1959, 6 of 1978 and 28 of 1988, bringing Part II of the said Ordinance into operation throughout Sri Lanka with effect from 28th December 2025, be approved.”

¶ 03 Sri Lanka faced an unprecedented natural disaster on 26–29 November 2025 due to Cyclone “Dicha.” All 25 districts were affected to varying degrees. Many families remain displaced, especially in the central highlands, with large-scale landslides and severe impacts never before experienced. The Government has been responding immediately while also planning to mitigate long-term impacts on our valleys and lands.

¶ 04 Considering the severity, the President declared a state of emergency on 28.11.2025 under the Public Security Ordinance. Even Members of the Opposition requested this when the National Council on Disaster Management met. We now seek to extend the emergency for another month.

¶ 05 A number of families remain in relief centres—225 centres housing 6,592 families as per the latest figures. There are 6,037 fully damaged and 108,476 partially damaged houses reported so far, with daily updates. Many others are with relatives or friends and are not in centres; their numbers likely exceed those in centres. It is clear normalcy has not yet returned.

¶ 06 We must extend the emergency to ensure uninterrupted essential services and to operationalize and continue the Office of the Commissioner-General of Essential Services during this period. This is the sole purpose; we will not use emergency powers for any other reason. The dynamic situation requires rapid response and evolving measures; officials need the necessary legal framework to act instantly.

¶ 07 “Dicha” is unlike other disasters; we must study the geophysical changes it caused before resettlement—conduct surveys and obtain NBRO reports to ensure safety. Although this is typically a monsoonal period, saturated soils after November’s events create ongoing risk even with normal rainfall. Therefore, emergency continuation is needed to enable swift official action, maintain essential services, and keep the Commissioner-General’s office functioning until stability returns. Our aim is to restore normalcy as soon as possible, with no intent to misuse or prolong emergency powers.

¶ 08 Regarding recent concerns on education: we immediately initiated an investigation into the Grade 6 English module issue. The National Institute of Education (NIE) is a statutory body; disciplinary powers rest with its Council. We are proceeding legally and procedurally, with nothing to hide, and will correct mistakes, identify causes and responsible parties, and act accordingly. The book has not been distributed to students. Grade 6 books will be given on the 21st; Grade 1 on the 29th. We will proceed with necessary modules and reforms without creating unnecessary fear. We will punish whoever is responsible as per the inquiry outcome. Thank you.

¶ 09 Question proposed.