The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I wish to contribute to the Committee Stage debate on the allocations to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.

¶ 02 First, on highways and ports. Trincomalee District’s foremost resource is its natural harbour. In the 18th century, Admiral Wilson of the British Navy wrote to the British Government stating, “Whoever holds the Port of Trincomalee holds the key to the Indian Ocean.” From this, we can understand the primacy of Trincomalee Port. After Independence, successive Governments did not pay due attention to its development.

¶ 03 There are four jetties inside Trincomalee Port. One is called the “Ashraff Jetty,” under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Of the other three, one is used by Prima, one by Tokyo Cement, and one by the Indian Oil Corporation. The Ashraff Jetty remains with only the initial development: staff shortages, insufficient berthing, lack of heavy cargo handling equipment, inadequate internal roadways, absence of warehousing—all resulting in poorer service for vessels that would otherwise call. Ships divert elsewhere, causing us losses. Rectifying these shortcomings would generate significant revenue, including foreign exchange. If the SLPA directly manages the three jetties used by those companies, it could earn higher revenue while creating employment.

¶ 04 Less than 10 per cent of the adjacent oil tanks are in use. If the rest are brought into operation, we can supply bunker fuel to vessels in the Indian Ocean and earn substantial foreign exchange while creating jobs. I bring this to the Hon. Minister’s attention.

¶ 05 There is a persistent land issue between the SLPA and local residents. The SLPA has acquired 5,266 acres around the Port; 1,888 acres are inhabited by people who lived there before the 1987 acquisition. Continuous disputes persist. I urge the Hon. Minister to resolve this soon by granting land titles to the people.

¶ 06 The SLTB’s Trincomalee District Office needs 37 buses but has only 20, impairing service. Please repair defunct buses, provide at least 10 new buses to Trincomalee, and fill 50 per cent staff shortages at the District Office. The Trincomalee depot yard is in poor condition; please rehabilitate it.

¶ 07 Many bridges in Trincomalee District are dilapidated—for example, the Kattaiparichchan and Iralu bridges (called “Karuppu Palam”) in the Mutur DS Division are completely damaged. If not repaired, there is risk to life. In Verugal, about 5,000 people live between a lagoon and the sea; in disasters, they can be trapped without escape. To prevent such outcomes, a bridge over the lagoon—the Punnaithivu Bridge—must be built. The Road Development Authority conducted a feasibility in 2019, estimating Rs. 464 million, but COVID-19 stalled it. Please proceed without delay.

¶ 08 Between Trincomalee and Mullaitivu lies the Kokkilai Lagoon, shallow and passable. From Pulmoddai across Kokkilai, Mullaitivu is only 32 km, but without a bridge, people detour via Vavuniya—an extra 75 km—wasting time and money. Please construct a bridge across Kokkilai Lagoon.

¶ 09 In this Budget, the Ministry is allocated Rs. 52.4 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 421 billion for capital—13 per cent more than last year, which is welcome. However, funds for road development have been reduced by 13 per cent compared to last year, which is not encouraging. Moreover, most allocations go to the 10 per cent of major roads under the RDA, while roads under the RDA’s lower tiers, local authorities and Irrigation Department remain neglected. Please allocate for their rehabilitation as well. Thank you.