The Hon. Danushka Ranganath

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to join the debate on the Supplementary Estimate of Rs. 36,609 million for the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.

¶ 02 Beforehand, a point: the Leader of the Opposition keeps brandishing a photocopy of just the cover page or cherry-picks a word from our policy document to misrepresent it. Our “Prosperous Nation – Beautiful Life” policy is not simplistic. Our aim is to create prosperous individuals, thereby a prosperous nation—through economic stability, improved living standards, better education, and stronger social values. That is the social transformation we seek. We promised to end theft, corruption, fraud and waste; to establish a new political culture; to punish wrongdoers; and to entrench the rule of law. We have begun this process. When the rule of law applies equally to the powerful and the ordinary, the Opposition becomes agitated.

¶ 03 The Ministry of Transport and Highways is central to people’s daily experience of good governance. The Ministry is improving highways, expressways, bridges, rural roads, ports, aviation, rail, and bus services.

¶ 04 On rural roads: the primary expectation in villages is better access. The Government launched the “Path to Revival” rural roads program. About 90 percent of local roads belong to Pradeshiya Sabhas, which cannot maintain them alone; the RDA intervenes. Under “Path to Revival,” 1,619 roads are identified this year at a cost of Rs. 25 billion, implemented via District Secretariats and the RDA. Works on 192 roads are completed; 613 have commenced; the remainder will start this year, with another Rs. 25 billion proposed next year.

¶ 05 On iRoad: we plan about 500 km nationwide under the new iRoad phase. In Kalutara, 24 roads are being taken up. This program started in 2016 but was stalled for about nine years due to interference—including from a former Cabinet Minister, Daya Gamage, whose company’s halted contracts in Kalutara left people suffering for years. Those were your Cabinet colleagues.

¶ 06 We have now completed procurement and will restart and finish these works swiftly before year-end. This Ministry indeed propels the country’s forward journey. We will fulfill the mandate given by the people. Thank you.