The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, are people’s coastal lands in the North being appropriated? Gazette No. 2430 of 28.03.2025 moves to acquire, under Section 5(1) of the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act, a total of 5,941 acres as state land: Jaffna – 3,669 acres; Mullaitivu – 1,703; Kilinochchi – 515; Mannar – 54. It instructs that registrations be completed in a short timeframe. If not, will you confiscate their lands? Is this not a grave betrayal of the Northern people? In 2009, when they were displaced, they took nothing—racist cruelty was committed then. They went with only the clothes they wore. Now you ask for documents? Are you following the same racist states that committed past cruelties? Do not betray the North and East. Please withdraw this Gazette.

¶ 02 Next, to the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism: our economy now leans on tourism revenue. Many tourists arrive, notably to the Northern Province via Palaly International Airport and the Nagapattinam ferry. Yet, district secretariats lack dedicated tourism offices to implement and regulate development initiatives. There are no designated officers in district or divisional secretariats; existing officers handle tourism as an added duty. The same applies in provincial and local authorities.

¶ 03 Each divisional secretariat in our province has unique natural and cultural assets, heritage centres, traditional foods, and local products that can be promoted and marketed through tourism. We need strong administrative units and staffing. Recruit new officers, utilize their capacities, immediately set up tourism units in district secretariats, appoint suitable officers in divisional secretariats, and implement effective programs to utilize them productively. Thank you.